Wed, May 10, 2017
Will Also Introduce Recently Upgraded WASP Military Aerostat Platforms At SOFIC 2017
Drone Aviation is unveiling the new WATT 300 heavy-lift tethered multirotor drone and an upgraded military WASP aerostat platform at the 2017 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). SOFIC is being held next week from May 15th through May 18th at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL.

SOFIC is the defense industry’s premier event for members of the Special Operations Forces (SOF), focusing on advancing defense industry technology solutions and building the global SOF alliance, attracting over 9,000 government and industry attendees. Company team members will be hosting informational meetings at booth (#1350) and will be displaying the Company’s full range of tethered aerial products including the upgraded WASP tactical aerostat platform and the WATT 200 electric tethered drone. Also on display will be the first unveiling of the new WATT 300 heavy-lift multirotor drone which delivers enhanced multi-mission capabilities thanks to its ability to support the same advanced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor payloads utilized by the WASP aerostat platform. Drone Aviation’s WASP and WATT are intended to provide semi-persistent, mobile intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ("ISR") for various military, law enforcement and commercial security
applications.
“This year marks our third anniversary at SOFIC, the premier annual gathering of the SOF community. Building upon our recent military contract awards and the growing interest in tethered solutions, we are presenting this year’s attendees with a full range of products highlighted by our new WATT 300 heavy-lift drone,” said Bruce Hardy, Vice President of Sales of Drone Aviation. “We look forward to meeting with new and existing customers and to sharing with the SOF community the many unique and compelling operational capabilities of our tethered products.”
The WASP (Winch Aerostat Small Platform) is a highly tactical and mobile aerostat system which can be operated by as few as two soldiers and can provide day/night video and wireless communication range extension from either a fixed, stationary position or while being towed. Over the past four years, U.S. Army-owned WASP systems have successfully completed thousands of hours of soldier training operations, various DoD exercises, and customer operations. WASP is currently being utilized by the DoD as a mobile, tactical aerial solution that can support various ISR mission profiles involving ground-based assets as well as aerial assets through communication retransmission. The patented WATT Electric Tethered Aerial Platform is the Company’s turn-key electric tethered drone designed to provide secure and reliable aerial communications and monitoring for extended durations. WATT utilizes a high strength, Kevlar®-armored tether connected to the ground providing uninterruptible power, unjammable
command and control, and secure collection and distribution of sensor data, to deliver highly effective coverage from altitudes up to 400 feet for up to 8 hours or more. Supporting advanced mil-spec communications packages and sensors, including highly stabilized zoom EO/IR systems, WATT provides excellent persistent ISR and aerial monitoring capabilities over a wide area.
(Source: Drone Aviation news release)
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