VStar Systems a privately held aerospace and defense systems company, has made its first successful flight test of its modular Signal Intelligence Sensor, MA-C/lite, aboard the Martin UAV V-Bat aircraft.
Over the duration of 35 minutes at an altitude of 400 feet above ground level, MA-C/lite collected signals from as far as 20 miles distance. MA-C/lite provides new distance imaging capabilities for unmanned aircraft.
VStar Systems offers a range of lightweight drone sensors that are capable of taking images and data over long distances. The company focuses its offerings on the defense, government and private security industries. The MA-C product line provides signal intelligence such as signal copy, signal identification and geolocation to a wide variety of platforms, ranging from Type 1 UAV’s through to the largest manned platforms. MA-C’s weigh approximately 2lbs and have been set up to work around some of the payload issues that are common to other signal intelligence sensors on the market.
The MA-C offering is designed to commoditize signal intelligence by putting smaller UAVs in the air that carry a single, specialized module instead of putting a larger UAV in the air that has several functions that may or may not be relevant to the mission at hand.
“We are eager to work with VStar to develop V-Bat’s capability in the tactical VTOL market; the warfighter deserves the best technology and support we can provide.” said Phil Jones, COO of Martin UAV in a statement on the test flight.
Martin UAV will offer the MA-C sensor as part of their VBat portfolio later this year.
VStar launched last year as a systems integrator for drones. The San Diego-based company works with commercial, enterprise and government clients to help them find ways of better using unmanned systems in their business operations and ensuring that appropriate software and security systems are in place.
