Weed trial for ScanEagle

Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced today that it will employ its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) on behalf of the Queensland Government for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) for the first Siam weed detection trials using UAS.

“These UAS trials are an important step in proving the substantial safety and operational benefits that come from employing UAS in commercial applications,” said Insitu Pacific Managing Director, Andrew Duggan.

The trials in Far North Queensland are planned to span four days in late June. The ScanEagle UAS will survey the size and density of the Siam weed population.

Native to Central America, Siam weed is considered to be one of the worst weeds around the globe.

Insitu Pacific will report the trial’s findings back to DAFF for further analysis. This is hoped to give DAFF the information it needs to eliminate this pest weed before it spreads.

“We are excited to partner with the Queensland Government in this activity,” said Duggan. “Our previous work in monitoring marine mammals off the coasts of Western Australia and Queensland was a huge success in terms of demonstrating the ability for UAS to operate safely in civilian airspace.”

Using unmanned aircraft systems in this type of scenario provides a cost-effective alternative and decreases potential risks associated with sending out manned helicopter crews on long-duration, low-altitude surveillance missions where there is little margin for error.

The ScanEagle UAS is controlled remotely from a ground control station, so the risk profile is significantly reduced compared to manned operations.

Insitu Pacific, located in Queensland, Australia, has provided UAS services to defence, civil and commercial interests in the Asia-Pacific region since June 2009. It is a subsidiary of U.S.-based Insitu Inc.

Insitu Inc., located in Bingen, Wash., is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Insitu designs, develops and manufactures UAS and provides associated services for commercial and military applications. With a small footprint and expeditionary focus for both land and sea operations, the company’s family of UAS solutions serves the needs of the global defence community. To date, these systems have accumulated nearly 609,000 combat flight hours and 67,000 sorties. For more information, visit www.insitu.com.