A Spanish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer is laying the groundwork for offering its Alpha 800 rotary-wing UAV to the US market.
Eric Freeman, Alpha Security and Defense CEO, told Jane’s on 16 October that the company will likely establish a US entity in the next four months and will hopefully have an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) established in the US as well. He declined to say if there were any Pentagon procurement opportunities the company was pursuing.
Alpha Security and Defense wants to sell its Alpha 800 single-rotor UAV to the US market. (Alpha Security and Defense)
“We are trying to find the correct distribution channels in the US,” Freeman said. “These are important steps for us as a company based in Europe and it is something that will open up the US market.”
The Alpha 800 is a 14 kg single-rotor gasoline-powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) mini-UAV. The aircraft features up to three hours endurance and up to 50 km of range with a payload capacity of 3 kg. It also operates in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments.
The Alpha 800 can be used in military roles such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and civil roles including law enforcement, precision agriculture, mining upturn, and fire detection. Freeman said additional military capabilities include being used as an advanced observation platform for artillery systems and as a laser indicator.
Although Freeman said Alpha Security and Defense could build the Alpha 800 in the US on its own, cost and military certifications are why the company seeks a US-based OEM. He said teaming with a US OEM and acquiring all necessary military certification would make the Alpha 800 a stronger and more reliable product.
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