ScanEagle demonstrates fire monitoring capability over Olympic National Park

While more than 625,000 acres of wildfires burned throughout the Pacific Northwest, crew members of the Insitu Rapid Response team launched a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft into the hazy skies above the Paradise Fire in Washington's Olympic National Park. The event marked the beginning of an operational demonstration designed to show how unmanned aircraft technology can be a powerful force multiplier in the fight against wildfires.

ScanEagle flew six operations, delivering more than 37 hours of infrared video in real time to Incident Command personnel. Insitu's suite of motion imagery software provided enhanced video and geo-registration capabilities that enabled fire officials to pinpoint the fire's perimeter and identify areas of intense heat. ScanEagle also assisted helicopter assets with evaluating water drop locations.

"This exercise demonstrated our ability to collect, process and deliver information that helps fire officials achieve better outcomes,” said Insitu President and CEO Ryan Hartman.

ScanEagle flew within an emergency certificate of authorization issued to the Department of Interior from the Federal Aviation Administration that permitted its operation within the confines of the temporary flight restriction.

RQ-21A Early Operational Capability aircraft update

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Patuxent River, Md., intends to negotiate and award a contract to Insitu Inc. of Bingen Wash., for the procurement of a configuration update to the Early Operational Capability 1 and 2 systems to the current Low Rate Initial Production configuration with options to procure attrition air vehicles. “This effort will be conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Webster Field Annex in St. Inigoes, Md., to the maximum extent possible,” NAVAIR officials said in contract documents released Friday. “Items that cannot be updated in the field will be shipped to the contractor.”

The estimated total value of the contract action is approximately $8 million, NAVAIR officials said. Insitu, Inc. is the sole designer, developer, and manufacturer of the RQ-21A, as well as the sole integrator of the avionics system, and is the only source known to possess sufficient knowledge and familiarity with the design and related specifications to perform the required technical efforts.

Small businesses interested in subcontracting possibilities may contact Insitu.