MTSU,ISR sign multi year deal.

MTSU and ISR Group, based in Savannah, Tenn., have signed a multi-year collaborative agreement to develop an unparalleled Unmanned Aerial System program in the southeastern United States, officials from both MTSU and ISR Group announced in a news release.

The agreement ties MTSU’s nationally ranked Department of Aerospace with ISR Group’s industry-leading UAS experts, facilities and flight range to create a powerful academic presence in the unmanned aircraft industry.

The ISR Group and MTSU partnership capitalizes on each organization’s expertise to create a world-class UAS technology, research and academic program to support the emerging UAS market, help spur economic development, provide educational opportunities for the local work force and create high-tech jobs for Tennessee and the region.

“This is a wonderful example of joining two Tennessee treasures (ISR and MTSU) in an academic/business partnership with national significance,” said Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

ISR Group and MTSU make a great team to carry out collaborative training and research, officials with both said in a joint statement. ISR Group’s expert staff of UAS operators, maintainers, instructors and managers is working with MTSU’s aerospace faculty and staff to provide a solid foundation to develop a curriculum for UAS technology in the MTSU aerospace department and to help guide the development of a national UAS curriculum.

With an already high demand for defense and homeland security applications, unmanned systems are experiencing a significant increase for state, local and commercial use, such as law enforcement, emergency management and agriculture.

MTSU’s aerospace department is working to assist the Federal Aviation Administration with defining the standards for small UAS flight operations and training certifications, as well as manned and unmanned next-generation air traffic management.

ISR Group’s privately owned 10-square-mile range complex and 32 square miles of available UAS airspace offer prime operational flight training and flight research capabilities. ISR Group also offers logistics and maintenance support along with state-of-the-art training equipment and facilities.

ISR Group’s generous donation to MTSU established the Director of UAS Programs position for which Kyle Snyder recently has been hired.