Web Page sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
————————————————————————
12 May 16. Poland Eyes Surveillance, Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The Polish Ministry of Defense has launched negotiations on its planned acquisition of new surveillance and maritime patrol aircraft, the ministry’s Armament Inspectorate (IU) said in a statement.
Under the plan, the ministry is to purchase three surveillance aircraft by 2023, and three maritime patrol aircraft in the years 2023 to 2030. These will be acquired under the Plomykowka (Barn owl) and Rybitwa (Tern) programs, respectively.
As part of the latter procurement, the ministry is planning to enhance its maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-vessel capabilities, reports local news siteDziennikzbrojny.pl.
Bidders interested in participating in the forthcoming tender are to submit their applications by May 20. The estimated worth of the two programs was not released by the Polish ministry.
Meanwhile, it is unclear whether the country’s current government will continue the previous Cabinet’s plan to allocate additional funds with the aim to overhaul and modernize the Polish Navy. Under the plan, by 2030, Poland was to spend some 900m zloty (US $233m) per year on purchasing vessels and armament for the service which, according to local analysts, is the most underfunded branch of the Polish Armed Forces.
The Polish Navy is manned by some 6,924, which represents close to 7 percent of the Polish military, according to figures from the Defense Ministry. Poland aims to spend some 35.9bn zloty on its armed forces in 2016, of which about 9.69bn zloty is to be allocated to the ministry’s military modernization program. (Source: Defense News)
12 May 16. PrecisionHawk and Insitu Team on Aerial Imaging. PrecisionHawk, a provider of aerial data and safety platforms for drones, and Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, have announced a strategic alliance to offer expansive aerial technology services across commercial and enterprise markets. The two companies will offer small- and large-scale services by integrating platforms, hardware and software, to deliver more comprehensive data insights to customers.
“Our customers are always pushing us to bring more advanced and comprehensive solutions, and we go above and beyond to make sure we are developing tools that serve their specific needs,” said PrecisionHawk president Christopher Dean. “We feel that collaborating with Insitu will only assist us with further delivering against that promise.”
Since 2010, PrecisionHawk has been an early leader in the commercial drone space with product and service offerings across civilian industries. PrecisionHawk’s product contributions to the alliance include: the Lancaster 5, a fully autonomous, fixed-wing drone that is compatible with multiple sensors for high-quality data collection, and DataMapper, a terrestrial data software platform that stitches aerial images into 2D/3D orthomosaic maps and offers a host of algorithms for automated analysis. Both the Lancaster and DataMapper are leveraged for PrecisionHawk servicing teams, one of the largest networks of drone services in the U.S.
“While our businesses are diverse, the areas where we intersect have tremendous potential for creating new opportunities in the commercial industries we both serve,” said Ryan M. Hartman, Insitu President and CEO. “This alliance ensures that more businesses will explore what unmanned technology can offer.”
Insitu first deployed with the United States Marine Corps in 2004. Since that time, its unmanned platforms — ScanEagle, RQ-21A Blackjack, a program of record with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and Integrator — have served commercial and defense customers across the globe in some of the world’s most challenging environments. In 2015, Insitu acquired 2d3 Sensing, which specializes in the design and development of full motion video products and Cloud i