Unmanned Systems Incorporated Partners With Robotic Skies

Unmanned Systems Incorporated (USI), a manufacturer of fixed wing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) currently utilized for training, has selected Robotic Skies as its maintenance and repair provider for its fleet of aircraft. Like all Robotic Skies customers, USI will receive customized service, troubleshooting, and field repair of its UASs throughout the United States and
Canada. The Robotic Skies service center network, now at nearly fifty locations in North America, is comprised of only the best FAA Part 145 Repair Stations and Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organizations, who have decades of experience maintaining the manned aircraft fleet.

USI’s flagship product is the SandstormTM, a fixed wing vehicle with a fifteen-foot wingspan, and available in either gas or electric configurations. Remotely piloted via USI’s proprietary LongshotTM Internet control technology, the Sandstorm can be flown from ground control stations (GCS) that are hundreds, or even thousands of miles from the aircraft’s actual location.

“Our Sandstorm platform has been flying training missions for several years. While the pilots receiving the training are physically located in our control facility in Nevada, the aircraft themselves takeoff, maneuver and land from our flying field in Montana,” said Don Bintz, president of USI. “The Sandstorm has proven to be an effective UAS trainer, but it also has surveillance and payload delivery mission profiles that are only now being realized, and these capabilities will have huge commercial benefit for our customers. The Robotic Skies service center network assures that our fleet is inspected and
maintained reliably and affordably, and per our unique ongoing mission requirements.

USI will select the optimal maintenance program for their UAS fleet, managed via the cloud-based Robotic Skies service software. The service software allows manufacturers to track the ongoing maintenance of their UAS airframes throughout the life of the craft, no matter where they are serviced within the Robotic Skies network. In addition, the service software provides invaluable performance and reliability data back to the manufacturer, where the information can be used as a basis for future
airworthiness certifications and product enhancements.

“The Sandstorm is a leading-edge and versatile UAS with a long operational history. USI will be at the forefront of the emerging UAS market, and we’re thrilled to have been chosen as their maintenance partner as they expand their offerings into the commercial segment,” said Brad Hayden, President and
CEO of Robotic Skies. “USI and its customers will have the benefit of continent-wide access to highly skilled and experienced aviation professionals to keep their UAS airborne.”