U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman excursions RapidFlight’s Virginia facility, highlighting scalable drone options important for contemporary navy methods
Virginia-based unmanned aerial methods developer RapidFlight lately introduced they’d obtained a go to from U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA1), Vice Chairman of the Home Armed Companies Committee, to their Manassas headquarters. Over a greater than two-hour-long tour, RapidFlight demonstrated their modern, additive manufacturing (higher often known as 3D printing) based mostly strategy to bringing most operational flexibility to the battlefield.
RapidFlight’s major product, known as AgileAviation, contains over 20 completely different UAV designs that may be flexibly tailored and manufactured on-site to suit fast-changing mission parameters. Their proprietary hardware-software stack is designed to permit American firms to compete with drone makers overseas, who’ve beforehand been in a position to reap the benefits of economies of scale to cost out their opposition.
The go to included a tour of their manufacturing facility in Virginia, using dozens of native employees, and an exploration of RapidFlight’s Cellular Manufacturing System, which might be arrange shortly in ahead working environments. The MPS might be owned and operated by RapidFlight, or it’s accessible to the Division of Protection, US Allies, or protection contractor primes to shortly and affordably construct as much as 28 Group 3 plane monthly, (with the choice to construct considerably extra Group 1 or Group 2 UAVs ought to the scenario require it). Utilizing industrial off-the-shelf elements and powered by a normal 110/240V wall plug, the MPS is designed to work wherever it’s wanted, with an efficient operation vary of -20º F to 130º F, even with excessive humidity.
Drone Innovation for Protection
In the course of the go to, Wittman highlighted the significance of scalable drone options to the US and its allies, serving to them tackle a quickly altering safety surroundings.
“We get so wrapped up in doing science challenge after science challenge, however you could have to have the ability to scale it and have an operational impact,” mentioned Wittman, discussing the present state of Pentagon expertise improvement. “What you all do right here is the key sauce that we’d like to have the ability to act shortly.”
Wittman was key to the passage of the American Safety Drone Act throughout the 2024 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act, which banned the procurement or use of UAVs manufactured by China. As a part of this push, he has visited a number of home drone builders to verify in on the state of the American drone business.
“Congressional engagement with firms like RapidFlight is vital to nationwide protection. Congressman Wittman might help facilitate modern options from rising producers aimed toward bolstering our nationwide protection technique,” mentioned Mike Uffelman, Director of Progress at RapidFlight. “We’re excited to work with our elected officers on Capitol Hill to offer our service members with the instruments they should accomplish the mission.”
Extra info on RapidFlight is on the market right here.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the industrial drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand new applied sciences.
For drone business consulting or writing, E mail Miriam.
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