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INAER Spain to use UAVs for Fire Spotting

 Bildet under er fra Cuatro Vientos da HS fløy sin første S-61N til Spania for å overta den militære redningstjenesten. Tjenesten er nå hel-sivil og dekker også Kanariøyene.

Små helikoptre slik den omtales i artikkelen, kan virke uhensiktsmessige. Unødvendig kompliserte og saktegående i forhold til fly i samme vektklasse.

Foto: Per Gram

During a presentation at the UNVEX16 event at Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport, Spain, José Luis Saiz, INAER Spain’s director of research and development, explained that the extensive experience of INAER Spain using EO / IR, SAR and LIDAR sensors for surveillance services, grounding that will allow them to become the first European operator to perform surveillance and observation activities in firefighting missions, not only daytime but also at night.

To do this, the company is in process of certificating an unmanned aircraft rotary wing, weight of 150 kg, capable of flying up to 4 hours continuously with the same surveillance systems placed in their helicopters. This aircraft will be the first to be certified in Spain and is scheduled to start operating in the 2018 firefighting season.

Both the manufacture of UAVs as the images process that they will capture will take place in INAER facilities in Galicia, as part of the Civil UAVs Inititative Xunta de Galicia is developing at the airfield of Rozas. In this regard, the Regional Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry of Xunta de Galicia, Francisco Conde, visited INAER and INDRA booths at UNVEX and stressed that this project is positioning Galicia internationally in this industry.

Saiz said the firm will leverage its extensive experience using optical, infrared and LIDAR sensors for surveillance to allow it to become ‘the first European operator to perform surveillance and observation activities in firefighting missions’, not only in the daytime but also at night.

INAER Spain is currently in the process of certificating an unmanned rotary-wing aircraft to carry the same surveillance systems used in its manned helicopters. Weighing 150 kg (330 lbs), the craft can remain in the air for up to four hours. This aircraft will be the first to be certified in Spain for this mission and is scheduled to start operating in the 2018 firefighting season, said the company.

The UAVs will be manufactured at INAER’s facilities in Galicia, where images captured will also be processed as part of the Xunta de Galicia Civil UAVs Inititative. Visiting the INAER booth at the event, Regional Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry of Xunta de Galicia Francisco Conde stressed that the project will position Galicia internationally within this industry.

Saiz also announced the proposed creation of a training centre for UAV pilots and operators, as well as a low-altitude air traffic control centre to create a network of air corridors, first in the north and later throughout the country.