Suppliers: Search and Rescue Drones

Robinson Unmanned

Integrated VTOL UAS: From Nano Platforms to Heavy-Lift Autonomous Rotorcraft

Austars Model

Advanced VTOL & Fixed-Wing UAVs | State-Of-The-Art Technologies for Unmanned & Autonomous Aircraft

Beyond Vision

Fully Autonomous Multirotor Drones & Hybrid VTOL UAVs With AI Capabilities

Skyeton

Small Tactical UAS (Group 2 / NATO Class I) for Long-Range ISR Missions

TEKEVER

Fixed-Wing UAV Systems: Modular VTOL, Long-Range Maritime UAV, Tactical ISR UAS

Volatus Aerospace

Drone Technology Supplier & Drone Service Provider for Public Safety, Transportation & Training

Redwire

Long-Endurance Fixed-Wing & Hybrid VTOL UAVs | UAV Payload Camera Systems | Power Systems

BlueBird Aero Systems

Tactical Hybrid VTOL UAS & Loitering Systems for Multi-Domain Operations

Hydronalix

Advanced Man-Portable USV Platforms for Defense, Tactical & Government Missions

Altus LSA

Innovative Turnkey UAS Solutions for Mission-Critical Civilian & Defense Applications

Xer Technologies

Heavy-Duty, Heavy Payload Drones for Industrial Inspections, Public Safety and Search & Rescue

Cannon Dynamics

Customizable, Long-Range Fixed-Wing Drones - Twin-Wing Design Heavy Lifting Drones

H3 Dynamics

Enablers of Long-Range Hydrogen Electric Flight | Hydrogen Solutions for UAVs; Lightweight PEM Fuel Cells & Mobile Hydrogen Refueling Stations

ZIYAN Tech

Electric Unmanned Helicopters & Supporting Unmanned Aircraft Equipment

UAVOS Inc.

VTOL and Fixed Wing UAVs, Autopilots, GCS, Components and Payloads for UAS

Roze Mobility

Long-Endurance & Heavy-Lift Autonomous Helicopter UAS Platform for Civilian & Military Applications

BraveX

Versatile Fixed-Wing & VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Long-Range Civilian, Commercial & Military Applications

Shadowfax UAS

Hybrid VTOL UAS for Long-Endurance Surveillance & Reconnaissance

ElevonX

Fixed-Wing Hybrid VTOL UAVs - Electric & Petrol - for Endurance Operations

Alpha Unmanned Systems

Helicopter UAVs: Rotary Wing Drones for Maritime, Naval & Security Operations | UAS GCS

Performance Drone Works (PDW)

High-Performance Autonomous Drones for Mission-Critical Civilian & Military Applications

SwissDrones

Long-Range Autonomous Helicopter Drone for Inspections, Surveillance, Search & Rescue, and Monitoring

CHC Navigation

GNSS Positioning & Navigation Systems, Mobile Mapping UAV LiDAR & Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Acecore Technologies

Professional Drones, Quadcopters, Multirotors & Hexacopters for Cinematography, Survey & Inspection

Schiebel Group

VTOL UAS for Civil and Military Applications

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Products

32 Cutting-edge Solutions
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HELIUS UAS

Ultra-lightweight, rapidly-deployable nano drone for tactical & field operations

Ultra-lightweight, rapidly-deployable nano drone for tactical & field operations
...rformance nano drone designed for rapid deployment and superior aerial intelligence. Weighing just...
Star-X VTOL-6500HP Pro VTOL UAV

Advanced hybrid VTOL UAV with 40 kg payload capacity

Advanced hybrid VTOL UAV with 40 kg payload capacity
...including ISR, search and rescue, and communications relay....
Star-X VTOL-4910HP VTOL UAV

20kg capacity hybrid VTOL UAV for maritime operations

20kg capacity hybrid VTOL UAV for maritime operations
...e warfare, and search and rescue. Up to four aircraft can be controlled from a single GCS in a swarm...
BVQ418 Multirotor UAV

Portable AI-powered quadcopter drone with military-grade 5G connectivity

Portable AI-powered quadcopter drone with military-grade 5G connectivity
...re prevention, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection....
BVT516 (VTOne) Hybrid VTOL UAV

Long-Endurance AI-Powered Class 3 Hybrid VTOL Fixed-Wing Drone

Long-Endurance AI-Powered Class 3 Hybrid VTOL Fixed-Wing Drone
The BVT516 (VTOne) is a long-endurance hybrid UAV that transitions seamlessly between VTOL and fixed...
BVH616 (HEIFU Pro) Hexacopter UAV

Class 3 hexacopter drone with modular payload capabilities for security, inspection & monitoring

Class 3 hexacopter drone with modular payload capabilities for security, inspection & monitoring
...s 3 hexacopter drone designed to meet the requirements of a wide range of professional applications,...
AR5

Long-range fixed-wing UAS for naval & maritime surveillance

Long-range fixed-wing UAS for naval & maritime surveillance
...border patrol, search and rescue, and other critical maritime missions....
Stalker Block 40

Lightweight UAS for extended-endurance multi-mission operations

Lightweight UAS for extended-endurance multi-mission operations
The Stalker Block 40 is an advanced, lightweight UAS designed to deliver increased endurance, payloa...
Stalker Block 30

Fully autonomous hybrid VTOL UAS for long-endurance ISR

Fully autonomous hybrid VTOL UAS for long-endurance ISR
The Stalker Block 30 is a fully autonomous hybrid VTOL UAS designed for long-endurance imaging and I...
Penguin Mk2X

Non-ITAR, catapult-launched Group 2/NATO Class I UAS

Non-ITAR, catapult-launched Group 2/NATO Class I UAS
The Penguin Mk2X is a versatile medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) fixed-wing UAS that is launche...
Penguin Mk2.5 VTOL

Group 3 / NATO Class I UAS with long endurance, long-range, low logistical footprint

Group 3 / NATO Class I UAS with long endurance, long-range, low logistical footprint
The Penguin Mk2.5 VTOL is a versatile medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAS with a hybrid VTOL c...
WanderB-VTOL

Miniature hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAS with 1.5 kg payload capacity

Miniature hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAS with 1.5 kg payload capacity
......ding missions, including ISTAR, border protection, artillery support, search and rescue, and... ... of multirotor drones. Providing a mission endurance of up to 3 hours, it can be operated by a...
WanderB-VTOL FC

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered hybrid VTOL UAS with up to 6 hours of mission endurance

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered hybrid VTOL UAS with up to 6 hours of mission endurance
......ding missions, including ISTAR, border protection, artillery support, search and rescue, and... ... of multirotor drones. Equipped with a state-of-the-art hydrogen fuel cell for enhanced mission...
ThunderB-VTOL

Versatile hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAV with 12-hour endurance

Versatile hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAV with 12-hour endurance
......ding missions, including ISTAR, border protection, artillery support, search and rescue, and... ... of multirotor drones. With a flight time of up to 12 hours and robust weatherproofing, it can cover...
Jack Knife J3, J5 & J9

Modular long-endurance quadcopter UAVs for tactical ISR missions

Modular long-endurance quadcopter UAVs for tactical ISR missions
The Jack Knife J3, J5, and J9 from Cannon Dynamics are high-performance quadcopter UAVs engineered f...
Jack Knife J1-60

Long-endurance electric quadcopter UAV for ISR & tactical operations

Long-endurance electric quadcopter UAV for ISR & tactical operations
The Jack Knife J1-60 is a robust multi-mission UAV platform featuring a carbon fiber frame designed ...
Snoop 24

Long-endurance VTOL fixed-wing UAV for extended ISR operations

Long-endurance VTOL fixed-wing UAV for extended ISR operations
The Snoop 24 is a long-endurance VTOL fixed-wing UAV engineered for ISR applications that demand bot...
Snoop 18

Tri-motor VTOL UAV for long-endurance multi-mission deployments

Tri-motor VTOL UAV for long-endurance multi-mission deployments
The Snoop 18 is a tri-motor electric VTOL UAV that combines the convenience of vertical take-off and...
Crow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Versatile and rapidly deployable water-resistant sUAS

Versatile and rapidly deployable water-resistant sUAS
Crow is a small unmanned aerial vehicle platform designed to be cost-effective, user-friendly, and e...
Falcon 10 Unmanned Helicopter

Electric unmanned helicopter with portable folding design

Electric unmanned helicopter with portable folding design
...er management, search and rescue, situational awareness, border defense and many more....
X8 Heavy-Duty Multirotor Drone

Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications

Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications
...public safety, search and rescue, disaster response, environmental monitoring, and more. It can... ...d conventional drones. The UAV platform design is based on several thousand hours of operational...
SH917 Unmanned Helicopter

Autonomous helicopter UAV platform for civilian & military applications

Autonomous helicopter UAV platform for civilian & military applications
Roze Mobility’s SH-917 is a high-performance autonomy-capable helicopter UAV (unmanned aerial ...
Vimana-LS

Production-ready electric UAS for mountain intervention units & environmental monitoring

Production-ready electric UAS for mountain intervention units & environmental monitoring
...ready electric drone platform configured for mountain intervention units and environmental...
HFP-2

VTOL long-range drone for monitoring & emergency response

VTOL long-range drone for monitoring & emergency response
...VTOL) electric drone designed for long-range monitoring and rapid-deployment emergency missions....
HFP-1

Long-range electric UAS for extended monitoring

Long-range electric UAS for extended monitoring
... surveillance, search and rescue, package delivery, and emergency response. Its adaptable design... ...P-1 long range drone is a production-ready, electric-powered unmanned aircraft system designed for...
HFP-3

Modular-propulsion long-range drone for monitoring & surveillance

Modular-propulsion long-range drone for monitoring & surveillance
...long-endurance drone designed with a modular propulsion system supporting both electric and internal... ...isted survivor search, agricultural survey of large fields, long-distance border and perimeter...
AM-FPV

Agile FPV Drone for Precise Tactical Missions

Agile FPV Drone for Precise Tactical Missions
...all, agile FPV drones and high-payload long-endurance platforms, the AM-FPV provides unmatched...
C100 Heavy-Lift Quadcopter

Foldable long-endurance heavy payload drone

Foldable long-endurance heavy payload drone
...ght and power) drone easily folds down into a small rucksack and can be deployed and airborne in...
X500 Multirotor Drone

Professional-grade drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance

Professional-grade drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance
...a professional drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance. Equipped with...
SF30 Group 2/3 UAS

Rugged long-endurance hybrid VTOL ISR platform

Rugged long-endurance hybrid VTOL ISR platform
The ShadowfaxUAS SF30 is a rugged hybrid fixed-wing VTOL UAS that has been designed from the ground ...
Alpha 800 UAV Helicopter

Versatile small unmanned helicopter for ISTAR and Civilian missions

Versatile small unmanned helicopter for ISTAR and Civilian missions
......g mapping, inspection, surveillance and reconnaissance, forward observation and search and...
SDO 50 Helicopter UAV

Versatile long-range autonomous helicopter drone

Versatile long-range autonomous helicopter drone
The SDO 50 is a state-of-the-art unmanned helicopter with a flight endurance of over 3 hours and the...

Search and Rescue Drones (SAR)

Sarah Simpson

Updated:

First Responder Drones

Search and rescue (SAR) drones assist in the location of people in distress or potential danger, or vessels that may be lost at sea or unable to manoeuvre. SAR drones and lifeguard drones may be deployed in the aftermath of a disaster, or to search vast or difficult terrain such as wilderness and mountainous regions.

Search and Rescue Drone by SwissDrones

SDO 50 Helicopter UAV for Search & Rescue by SwissDrones

The use of SAR drones for search and rescue mission is typically much less costly than helicopters or manned aircraft, which can be more expensive to run and slower to deploy. Search and rescue UAVs are relatively quick and easy to deploy in situations when time is of the essence, and allow first responders to keep out of harm’s way. In addition to locating missing persons, they can also be used to identify potential hazards in the search area before a ground team is sent in.

Search and Rescue Drone Platforms

Search and rescue unmanned aerial vehicles; fixed-wing UAVs, quadcopters, multirotors and unmanned helicopters, have different advantages and disadvantages when carrying out search and rescue missions. Fixed-wing search and rescue UAVs can generally fly faster and operate at higher altitudes than search and rescue quadcopters and multirotors. Due to being more efficient, they can operate for longer and thus have greater range.

Multirotor UAVs and unmanned helicopters have vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and can be launched from a much more restricted area, with no need for a runway or launch mechanism such as a catapult. Multirotor SAR drones are more manoeuvrable than fixed-wing platforms, and can hover in place to provide a highly stable imaging platform.

Hybrid VTOL UAV platforms take off using rotors and then transition to forward flight. This gives hybrid VTOL search and rescue drones the small operational footprint advantages of a multirotor SAR drone, as well as the extended range and coverage of a fixed-wing search and rescue UAV.

SAR Drone by Alpha Unmanned Systems

Alpha 800 UAV Helicopter by Alpha Unmanned Systems

SAR Drone Capabilities

Drones used in SAR environments may require some form of built-in sense-and-avoid capabilities, in order to reduce the risk of collisions with objects such as trees, power lines and helicopters. This is especially true of UAVs that operate autonomously, which may be required in mountainous or urban regions or other areas that may make it difficult to maintain radio links.

When operating in such regions, or in terrain or stretches of water that cover vast areas, SAR drones may also need to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Search and Rescue UAV by Beyond Vision

BVT516 (VTOne) Hybrid VTOL UAV by Beyond Vision

Search and Rescue UAV Control and Payloads

Search and rescue UAVs may be controlled via a handheld ground control station on a device such as a mobile phone, laptop or tablet, or via a fixed operations centre. The drone control software may provide direct remote control, as well as waypoint setting and search area selection functionality in order for users to create exhaustive search patterns. Live feeds of the drone’s payloads may also be monitored via the software.

SAR drones may carry a variety of payloads, including thermal and visual cameras, mobile phone detection systems, and devices that can drop essential items such as radios, food and water, medicine and life preservers.

In addition to live video feeds, still imagery is also useful in search and rescue missions, as the resolution of RGB photography cameras is generally much higher than that of video cameras. Images can be sent back to the ground control station in order to create maps of the terrain that are based on up-to-the-minute intelligence. Maps created using precise geospatial analysis software can be integrated with algorithms that indicate high-probability search areas based on the target’s last known location and direction of travel.

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The Federal Communications Commission has updated its Covered List to include foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems and critical components following a national security determination to protect domestic airspace and industrial resilience

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