Ascent AeroSystems has completed the final delivery of its Spirit dual-rotor coaxial drones to launch customer Dynetics. The Spirit UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is a portable rugged system that features a unique cylindrical configuration with coaxially mounted rotors, and is designed for mission-critical operations in highly challenging environments.
Dynetics will use the drones in this initial delivery to validate the vehicle’s performance characteristics and develop new payload systems that will provide additional capabilities for customers in the defense and intelligence communities.
General production of the Spirit drone has now begun, and the system is available in a variety of configurations, including ready-to-fly versions that include a variety of EO/IR camera options.
Peter Fuchs, founder and CEO of Ascent AeroSystems, stated: “Ascent AeroSystems is pleased to announce that we have completed the delivery of all Spirits to our launch customer, Dynetics. This represents a critical milestone for Ascent AeroSystems as a company and an important step in our valued partnership with Dynetics.”
Mark Miller, Dynetics’ Vice President and Division Manager of Missile and Aviation Systems, commented: “Dynetics continues to be impressed by the performance and reliability of Ascent’s coaxial UAVs, and we are looking forward building on our existing capabilities as we add the Spirit to our portfolio. Its compact, rugged form-factor, modular design and outstanding flight performance overcome persistent limitations of conventional multirotors. Other unmanned systems on the market simply cannot do what a Spirit can do.”
John Roy, Dynetics’ Department Manager for Unmanned Systems, said: “Setting the form factor and performance aside, the Spirit’s highly flexible architecture and available payload development kit make it the ideal platform to develop highly specialized payloads and build on Spirit’s unparalleled versatility. Rather than investing resources in the development of yet another conventional multirotor, we can focus on developing payloads and capabilities that we’re best at.”
