Canada has awarded $30 million contract to Insitu for small UAV

Insitu has received a US$30 million contract from the Canadian government to provide small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) services to support the Canadian Forces intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Afghanistan. The initial one-year contract includes two additional one-year options. The award comes after ScanEagle successfully proved itself on the battlefield in support of Canadian troops in Afghanistan under an interim contract. The new contract includes in-theater flight operations, on-demand payload reconfiguration and aircraft maintenance. “ScanEagle has logged more than 150,000 flight-hours in theater,” said Insitu CEO Steve Sliwa. “Our demonstrated experience coupled with reliable SUAV technology and services will continue to protect and serve the Canadian Forces” . Insitu SUAV Program Manager Greg Davis added, “We are proud to continue our excellent working relationship with the Canadian Forces and to help further develop their expertise in unmanned aircraft systems. The collaborative plan we’ve put together includes several evolutionary steps in technology that will mitigate government expense for improved system capability”. The contract was awarded April 3 through Canada’s Public Works and Government Services on behalf of the Department of National Defence. The SUAV services provided by Insitu include training Canadian Forces personnel, providing operations and maintenance personnel in theater, providing technical and engineering support, and managing an integrated logistics support system.