Versatile Spirit unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Ascent AeroSystems are now available from the General Services Administration's (GSA's) Advantage website. The cylindrical unmanned aerial system (UAS) features a modular open-systems architecture (MOSA) design that's meant for ease of portability and is suitable for a variety of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
The high-performance, all-weather UAV boasts integrated electro-optical (EO) and thermal-sensor payloads with sensitive and accurate surveillance capabilities when needed. The lightweight Spirit drone is available in various mission-critical configurations with modular construction that can be quickly assembled and disassembled for ease of transport and portability.
Paul Fermo, vice-president of business development for Ascent AeroSystems, said, “Government operations require drones for a variety of reasons, including ISR, target acquisition, monitoring and inspection, rogue gas detection, and so on.”
Regarding the versatility of this multiple-mission UAV, he added, “Most drones are designed for single-mission type, or worse, are restricted by a closed ecosystem, which limits their usefulness and subjects the government to obsolescence. Spirit has a modular open architecture that allows government operators to customize the platform to meet any operational requirement, all from one common airframe.”
The drone is constructed from aluminum and composite materials, according to what the company refers to as a “coaxial” footprint (see image above). It has a height of 12 in. and core diameter of 4.2 in., with tip-to-tip span of 25.5 in. With its flexible payloads, the UAV can take off with a maximum weight of 13.5 lbs. It flies with a +44.4-V Li-ion battery, about 16 minutes with a full payload. The cylindrical shape lends itself to ease of transport by one or more troops. The UAV is designed for reliable operation even in hostile operating environments.