Swiss Department of Defence Becomes Centaur Launch Customer

Aurora Flight Sciences announced today that the Swiss Department of Defence has become the first customer for the Centaur Optionally-Piloted Aircraft (OPA). armasuisse, an official procurement agency of the Swiss Department of Defence with its own Flight Test Center, will use the Centaur as a flying test bed for new sensors and Sense & Avoid equipment required to operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the entire National Air Space (NAS). Switzerland is a European leader in unmanned aircraft operations in their complex and dense airspace. The Swiss Air Force has been operating UAS for more than 10 years in the NAS, during day time operations with a chase plane in non-segregated airspace and during night time operations without a chase plane. With unprecedented flexibility of operation, Centaur is a new type of aircraft that can be flown in three ways. First, it can be piloted like a normal general aviation aircraft, retaining its FAA certification and the full functionality of its Garmin G-1000 flight management system. In less than four hours, it can be converted to an unmanned aircraft, using a completely separate UAV control system installed where the copilot normally sits. Finally, it can be flown in a hybrid mode, operated as a UAV but with a crew onboard. The crew can control the aircraft using an onboard control station, operate payloads and perform experiments, interact with air traffic controllers, and serve as a safety observer. The human pilot can override the robotic flight control system at any time, with both electronic and mechanical override options.