GPS World

Tag: Tekever

  • Tekever launches AR3 hot-swappable VTOL and integrated SAR

    Tekever launches AR3 hot-swappable VTOL and integrated SAR

    The AR3 maritime surveillance drone, usually launched horizontally, can be launched vertically with attachable propellers. (Photo Tekever)
    The AR3 maritime surveillance drone, usually launched horizontally, can be launched vertically with attachable propellers. (Photo Tekever)

    Tekever, a European maritime surveillance provider, has unveiled a new version of its AR3 unmanned aerial system (UAS). The AR3 now has a “hot-swappable” vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) capability, able to switch from horizontal launch to vertical. It also now has integrated synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

    Tekever made the announcement at AUVSI Xponential 2022 in Orlando, Florida. The company specializes in maritime surveillance services that deliver actionable real-time intelligence. The AR3 is a shipborne UAS designed to support multiple types of maritime and land-based missions up to 16 hours. With the upgrade, the AR3 becomes more operationally flexible, the company said.

    AR3 Hot-Swappable VTOL with SAR integrated from Tekever on Vimeo.

    “Users no longer have to choose between having pure fixed-wing assets for longer endurance missions, or fixed-wing VTOL assets for more challenging deployment conditions,” explained Ricardo Mendes, Tekever CEO. “The AR3 combines both capabilities and provides users with the ability to decide the configuration just moments before takeoff.”

    The newly added SAR provides the AR3 with a vastly greater operational range, and the ability to effectively detect, recognize and identify targets under any weather condition. Covering more than 20,000 square nautical miles per mission, the new AR3 is the suitable for wide-area surveillance missions.

    “Our SAR, which we named Gamasar in honor of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, is designed and built by Tekever specifically to provide our customers with capabilities that are typically only available through much larger systems,” Mendes said. “With an extremely reduced logistics footprint, the unprecedented VTOL flexibility and the unique capabilities provided by Gamasar, the new AR3 is a game changer that provides our customers with tremendous value and cost effectiveness.”

  • European migrant crisis spurs UAS maritime surveillance testing

    European migrant crisis spurs UAS maritime surveillance testing

    Maritime operations have been brought into focus in Europe by the unprecedented migrant crisis. As part of the response to this crisis, the EU border patrol agency Frontex is in the planning phase of adding remotely piloted aircraft to its existing portfolio of satellite and sensor technologies for monitoring vessel traffic and migrant flows.

    The AR5 Life Ray UAS, developed by Tekever, has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to demonstrate the first European maritime surveillance system where drones are integral to operations.

    The first demonstration will be performed this summer over the Maltese waters of the Mediterranean sea, said Pedro Sinogas, Tekever CEO.

    “During the demonstration in Malta, Tekever’s systems will be deployed from land and will perform operations across a range of maritime scenarios during the 4-6 weeks of testing,” Sinogas said.

    This project is demonstrating the benefits of deploying unmanned aircraft in the dual roles of pollution monitoring and search and rescue.  The project has developed the business case to deploy unmanned aircraft to augment, or even replace, existing assets such as satellites, manned aircraft and ships.

    Tekever is working with maritime authorities from across the EU, coordinated with EMSA and will demonstrate operations in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea across a wide range of environmental conditions.

    AR5-Light-Ray-W

    The AR5 Life Ray UAS platform is a mature system, in the market since being presented at Farnborough in 2014. AR5 was conceived to be a system capable of delivering the endurance and payload of a larger system in a compact and flexible package. The Rapsody programme has seen this system be prepared for maritime missions, while maintaining a small logistics footprint.

    With a wingspan of 4.3 meters and a payload of 50 kg, AR5 delivers performance of 8 to 12 hours missions. Typically systems in this class don’t offer Satellite Communications or on-board SAR. By delivering these capabilities the AR5 Life Ray UAS delivers unprecedented flexibility for maritime missions.

    “Tekever is now working with specialist sensor manufacturers to increase the capability of the system as new technologies mature, offering increased capability for our customers. We are working to allow AR5 to operate from onboard a ship in the future, delivering a capability organic to the vessels existing tasks. There is also a planned increased wingspan AR5 variant, with increased endurance and payload to match, while remaining within the existing logistics footprint,” Sinogas said.

    Tekever owns the entire technology stack within the AR5 Life Ray platform, allowing combined sensor modalities, data fusion and intelligent on board algorithms. This automates functionality and creates an excellent tool to support maritime missions.