Ascent AeroSystems has unveiled ready-to-fly kits for its Spirit and NX30 coaxial UAVs, providing operators with instantly deployable solutions suitable for varying missions, while ensuring enhanced readiness and adaptability in dynamic environments.
Now offered in ready-to-fly bundles, the Ascent Spirit and NX30 coaxial UAV’s provide integrators and operators with an upgradable, cost-effective platform that offers the security and supply chain sustainability to replace foreign acquired systems, and the payload flexibility to mitigate risk of platform obsolescence.
Each kit comes fully equipped for immediate deployment, including:
- UAV airframe: NDAA-compliant, aircraft-grade and designed for durability
- Modular Command and Control (C2): standard Herelink GCS (upgradeable)
- Batteries and battery charger: ready for continuous operations
- 2 sets of rotor blades: to optimize operational ready and flight performance
- Pelican case: rugged, transport-ready protection
Ascent’s modular, NDAA-compliant platforms provide a cost-effective, ready-to-fly sUAS solution. These compact, all-weather platforms can be seamlessly integrated into existing airborne operations.
Peter Fuchs, co-founder and president at Ascent AeroSystems, commented, “Our new ready-to-fly kits are designed with performance, affordability and futureproofing in mind. Unlike many available UAVs, the Spirit and NX30 are purposefully designed for scalability—one platform, nearly limitless operational capabilities. The new Spirit and NX30 Kits offer operators a robust, ready-to-fly system that can begin flying immediately and be easily upgraded as software and sensor technology advances or as mission requirements change.”
With a modular open system architecture (MOSA), Ascent’s coaxial UAVs allow operators to customize their systems for any mission with ease. In addition to the standard kits, customers can upgrade their systems by integrating one or more of five advanced sensor payloads or by replacing the standard Herelink command and control (C2) suite with NDAA-compliant UXV Navigator Tab5 add-ons.
The UXV Navigator Tab5, an Android-based add-on that is easily extendable and compatible with the existing Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5, is available with:
- The Microhard pMDDL2450: for secure and reliable point-to-multipoint applications.
- DoodleLABs SWaP-optimized Mesh Rider® radios: for long-range, high-bandwidth mesh networking.
Whether executing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), search and rescue (SAR), investigation, inspection, or surveying, mapping and photogrammetry missions, operators can expand operational capabilities and adapt to changing mission profiles in real-time by upgrading the standard, ready-to-fly Spirit and NX30 kits with other advanced camera payloads. Available sensor add-ons include:
- Gremsy VIO F1: advanced lightweight EO/IR camera weighing just 790g and delivering 4K zoom, 640×512 thermal imaging, and integrated 2400m laser range finder and object tracking.
- Sony ILX LR1 w/Gremsy Pixy LR: well-suited for inspection, surveying, mapping and investigation operations, the Sony ILX-LR1 Industrial camera boasts a 61MP full-frame image sensor, 4K zoom, swappable lenses and a weight of 810g.
- NextVision DragonEye2: a compact, lightweight dual EO/IR stabilized camera with 40x zoom capability and 640×480 thermal, under 170g.
- NextVision NightHawk2-UZ: a sub-400g dual EO/IR camera turret that features 1280×720 thermal imaging and 40x high definition zoom.
- NextVision Raptor: a long-range, dual EO/IR stabilized camera with 1280×720 thermal imaging, 80x Zoom, and a weight of 625g.
Fuchs continued, “The modular and open-systems design of our Spirit and NX30 platforms—combined with the performance advantages inherent in a coaxial propulsion design—sets Ascent apart in a market where operators have historically been forced to invest in new aircraft to get new capabilities. Our systems give UAS operators access to secure, resilient, American-made platforms that can keep pace with operational needs today, and tomorrow.”
