Added to DoD Innovation Unit’s List of Company Partners

Sensefly has been the subject of more good news this week, following their purchase by AgEagle Aerial Systems through a $23 million transaction with Parrot Group. Almost as quickly as the deal was announced, the Department of Defense added the company, senseFly, to their Blue sUAS 2.0 list, a project to standardize, procure, and integrate commercial drone technology for military use. One of ten approved manufacturers, their inclusion speaks highly of the developmental state of their eBee scout drone. 

Parrot, now former owner of the company, saw the swap as a way to pare down their offerings and focus on quad-copter drones, feeling they didn’t have the necessary R&D priority to stay competitive in the fixed-wing drone market. Parrot CEO Henri Seydoux feels the change leaves senseFly in good hands. “We trust that senseFly and the eBee line of fixed-wing drones will continue to deliver tangible value, benefits, and efficiencies to AgEagle’s customers and business partners well into the future, with the expanded capabilities of the ANAFI line of professional drones and Pix4D software suites, Parrot will continue to address its core market segments: 3D mapping, surveying, and inspection, agriculture, and defense and security.” 

“We are very pleased to welcome senseFly to the fast-growing AgEagle family and look forward to integrating its many strengths with the power and performance of AgEagle’s proprietary sensor and software solutions to effectively meet the needs of customers globally,” said CEO Brandon Declet. Now, following the acquisition, sensefly has made its way onto the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS 2.0 list. The project is a shortlist of developmental candidates for various defense offices and branches, designed to streamline common standards and procurement with commercial drone operators. 

As part of the Blue sUAS registration and qualification, senseFly completed demonstrations for officials of its eBee TAC UAV, a hand-launched fixed-wing tactical mapping drone that allows for remote scouting and surveillance for foot-mobile patrols. A flyweight 3.5 pounds, the camouflaged, hand-assembled, pitch launched drone has intrigued U.S. Army personnel in evaluation. Torres is proud of their inclusion, saying  “Since their creation more than 50 years ago, drones have continued to evolve, becoming one of the main tools integrated into military and defense forces throughout the world. Through senseFly’s innovative eBee TAC, AgEagle believes our Company can become an important player in the UAS domestic industrial base for the U.S. and its allies, helping to ensure delivery of secure drone mapping and scouting solutions that the DoD and other government entities will come to depend on.”

FMI: www.ageagle.com