Unmanned "Urban Beat Cop" Surveillance System Protects Soldiers

September 14, 2014

In a non-combat environment, information is typically collected by local law enforcement officers who are "walking their beat." Air Force expeditionary forces in Afghanistan requested a system that would give them similar situational awareness in Afghan villages and other remote areas, but without human participation or requiring them to "walk a beat." So, the Air Force and a small business partner recently developed and tested in the field a small, unmanned aircraft system (SUAS) that allows U.S. military forces to perform strategic reconnaissance while staying out of harm's way.

Service members operate a Skate device, a small unmanned aircraft system, in field testing.

Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation in Manassas, VA, developed an "urban beat cop" intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system, called Skate. The Skate system is portable, adaptable, and easily and quickly modified for more effective field use, making it an ideal technology to meet the demands of the battlefield environment.

The Skate system includes real-time streaming video and infrared imagery; an intuitive, hand-held user interface; and the ability to hand-launch while in confined areas. A variant of the system offers a capture hook for automated launch and recovery and charging from power sources on the ground. Skate is currently being marketed for a variety of applications, including use by law enforcement groups.

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