Teams from Swift Tactical Systems, in partnership with its Japanese counterpart, Swift-Xi, both subsidiaries of Swift Engineering, completed personnel search and rescue and animal identification missions as part of a contract with Okayama Prefecture in Japan.
The proof of concept program validates Swift’s unmanned aerial systems and capabilities under unique scenarios. First, the team’s ability to perform advanced search and rescue missions in dense forests, and second, the system’s ability to quickly detect, identify, and track the nighttime movements of animals that are destructive to the region.
The joint Swift teams flew integrated unmanned vehicle systems including, Swift air vehicles with mounted NightHawk2 cameras streaming live video to ground control. The operations teams demonstrated superior workflow capabilities during the day and nighttime missions. They exceeded performance expectations by identifying half a dozen animals during one-night flight and finding three separated, lost hikers in a heavily wooded area during another mission.
“Our teams proved that our combined military expertise and advanced UAS technology with real-time intelligence and data gathering capabilities are a powerful force in the industry. We were able to cover a 550-acre area and find all of our targets in less than 35 minutes,” says Alex Echeverria, Vice President of Swift Tactical Systems.
While this is the first time Wake-Cho is testing unmanned systems and technologies to perform tasks commonly addressed by humans on foot, it is not the first time Swift teams have provided real-time intelligence to government officials in Japan. Swift Tactical Systems and Swift-Xi recently completed multiple contracts for Kobe City. Government officials there are using Swift’s unmanned aerial systems and teams to track environmental changes such as landslide monitoring, seawall shifts, algae blooms, and invasive species, all of which pose risks to its aging population.
“As Japan’s population rate steadily declines and its aging workforce continues to rise, government officials and the private sector are looking for ways to manage critical tasks that are traditionally performed by people on the ground. We are proud to support government officials and private sector visionaries who are looking ahead to ensure the safety of Japan’s population and its future,” says Rick Heise, President and CEO of Swift Engineering.
Source: Press Release