Pictured is the Autel Evo Max 4T by Autel Robotics. This, along with other UAVs in the company's product line, features comparable SWaP and payload requirements to those stipulated in the tender and are widely deployed in Ukraine. (Autel Robotics)
The Irish Defence Forces has issued a tender for 14 small, rotary unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to equip its Corps of Engineers.
Posted on the European Union (EU) Tendering website on 13 August, the tender requires manportable UASs that are easy to use, capable of delivering high-resolution imagery, and designed with an emphasis on operator safety.
The procurement – valued at approximately EUR600,000 (USD657,132) – is divided into two separate lots and each will result in a separate contract: lot 1 requires commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) UASs, while lot 2 seeks UASs with additional data encryption, such as Advanced Encryption Systems (AESs). The supplier will be required to provide accessories, software, and training.
Tenders must be submitted no later than 12 September, with deliveries to Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, by 31 December 2024.
According to the tender, the UASs will be used for a range of purposes including surveillance, survey, inspection, and search and rescue (day and night). The precise applications envisaged for these systems are operationally sensitive. The UASs procured under lot 2 may also have to operate in ‘security sensitive' locations and/or GPS-denied environments.
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