Tossable Recon Drone Finds Quick Footing Abroad

AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc has announced a pretty big order for 20 brand-new eBee VISION full-stack systems to a distributor in the United Arab Emirates, all in all worth about $2 million.

The deal will include the whole kit and caboodle for operating the eBee, granting the distributor control systems, batteries, backpacks, storage systems, and a small supply of common wear parts for continued manufacturer support. The deal puts a point on their eBee VISION's capability for serious surveillance operations, being a relatively cost-effective, high-endurance fixed-wing drone platform. The eBee sports a large delta wing and upturned wingtips, a single engine, and a tightly faired sensor suite to provide 32x visual zoom and 5x thermal magnification. It's small, portable, and hand-launched, taking about 3 minutes to deploy on sorties about 90 minutes. With a 12-mile transmission range, the eBee is meant to be a little scouter, with minimal noise, visual, and electronic signatures for units on the move. It's not quite as needy as older systems, either, with a handful of different modes to allow it to do its job in peace. Targeting from afar is possible with 'observation mode', allowing it to autonomously stay a minimum distance away from its charges, or it can follow predefined flight plans, manual tracks, or wide-ranging exploration on its own. That's a good deal of versatility, particularly in a package that's able to be exported without onerous technology controls.

Bill Irby, CEO of AgEagle, highlighted the deal, happy to see some fresh income in the FY2024 coffers. “As the need for enhanced public safety and security grows globally, we are grateful to support another government customer with best-in-class UAV defense solutions for their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.”

The buyer, FEDS Drone-powered Solutions Founder and CEO Rabih Bou Rached, said the systems would be put to use pretty quickly. “We believe AgEagle’s new eBee VISION system, with its extended range and increased flight time, is perfectly suited for the Public Safety & Security sector. We are thrilled to bring this technology to the Middle East.”

FMI: www.ageagle.com