Travis Air Force Base now has autonomous security drones flying around

The Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, has worked with Easy Aerial to deploy its first autonomous security drone system. The autonomous system will allow the base to get eyes in the sky within seconds to provide better surveillance and situational awareness.

The system chosen for the task has been developed with the U.S. Air Force to suit its needs perfectly. The system consists of two drones, one that can freely fly and a tethered drone.

The Smart Air Force Monitoring System (SAFMS) is a drone-in-a-box solution that allows the company’s Falcon drone to be ready 24/7. The box allows the drone to charge in as little as 35 minutes and ensures it’s protected from the outside world.

The Falcon drone sports a carbon fiber frame that keeps it strong and allows 45 minutes of flight time when flying with a FLIR Duo thermal camera. It has a 5 km range and uses PixHawk 2.1 running on ArduCopter firmware. It can also be equipped with an LTE modem for an always-online connection.

MSgt Joshua Hicks, Travis AFB 60th SFS small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) instructor said:

“Easy Aerial’s unmanned aerial systems are a game-changer. This jointly developed technology will provide unparalleled security and safety for our airmen and critical assets. They will potentially save lives and will save time, effort, and resources as we continue to expand our training and operations across the base.”

The SAMS-T is almost the same as its tether-less counterpart but has a much longer flight time of 24 hours and removes the need for a wireless data connection. The power and data collected by the drone runs through the tether to prevent any chance of middle man attacks on the connection. The drone is also able to carry more and withstand stronger winds.

Ivan Stamatovski, CTO, Easy Aerial followed up with:

“I was humbled by the collective expertise, insight, and vision of this highly dedicated team without whom none of this could have been possible. This was a joint effort as we worked closely together from start to finish resulting in a customized solution for the USAF that meets all of their operational desires and requirements, all while providing operational safety to the airmen and assets. Their attention to detail and identification of the operational capabilities that needed to be modified and introduced was astounding.”

Easy Aerial

Earlier in the year, Easy Aerial received $6.15 million in Series A funding that helped it further develop its autonomous drone monitoring systems like the SAMS-T-MINI drone monitoring system released this week.

Based in the US, Easy Aerial creates aerial solutions that allow the autonomous use of drones and tethered drones that receive a constant power source while in the air. The company currently has two drones, the Falcon and Osprey. The Falcon drone is used with the Easy Guard system that allows the drone to be autonomously charged, land, and take-off, removing the need for a person to be involved in the process altogether.

Easy Aerial also produces its SAMS tether drone-in-a-box system that keeps the drone connected to the box to improve safety and reliability. The system can be placed in the back of a pickup truck and sent up anywhere the truck can go, making it great for event security and fire management. There is also an option for the tethered drone to receive power while in-flight using the Power Guard system to keep the drone in the air for 12 hours.

Photo: Easy Aerial