Insitu ScanEagle Conducts Successful Maritime Demonstration for Canadian Navy

27th November 2009 - 15:00 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Insitu has announced a successful flight demonstration of its first ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) aboard Canadian Naval vessel HMCS GLACE BAY (MM 701).

HMCS GLACE BAY is a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel that has been serving the Canadian Forces since 1996.

“The ScanEagle performed flawlessly during the demonstration. It allowed military personnel from the Canadian Army, Navy and Coast Guard to see first-hand the value that ScanEagle provides to our Forces.” said Commanding Officer of GLACE BAY LCDR Sid Green.

The demonstration conducted by the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre (CFMWC) consisted of an in-flight handoff of the ScanEagle by Canadian Navy personnel aboard HMCS GLACE BAY to a land-based ground control station (GCS) operated by Canadian Army personnel in the Halifax Naval Base.

The mission of the demonstration included locating and tracking pre-positioned vessels, suspicious activity organized ashore, as well as objects and divers in the water. It was the first launch and recovery of a fixed wing aircraft from a Canadian Naval vessel since 1968.

“ScanEagle has proven its value time and again as it has contributed to and helped warfighters achieve missions in theater in many parts of the world,” said Insitu Vice President of Sales and Marketing Alvin Jackson. “We look forward to serving the Canadian Naval Forces with the same skill, experience, and consistency that our customers have come to expect from the ScanEagle and our operations team, particularly when it is critically needed whether over land or at sea.”