Blue sUAS List Adds Long Range Drone: FlightWave Edge 130 VTOL

FlightWave has been approved as a trusted drone provider for US Federal Government through the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS 2.0 Program.   The DIU’s Blue sUAS adds the long range drone FlightWave Edge 130 VTOL.

FlightWave Aerospace provides VTOL drones, sensors and software solutions. FlightWave was named to the first round of Blue sUAS 2.0 vendors in December of 2021, designed to help the DIU expand the diversity, capability and affordability of sUAS on the Blue sUAS Cleared List.  Today, FlightWave announced they have completed the process to receive an Authority To Operate (ATO) designation under the DoD Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS 2.0 Program.  The NDAA-compliant Edge 130 long range VTOL has been placed on the Blue UAS list, which means that it has been approved has been approved for procurement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and US Federal agencies.

“Following months of cyber penetration testing and supply chain analysis, The US. Air Force granted an ATO for Edge 130 Blue, Edge 130 Blue GCS and Mission Planner, and 5 FlightWave camera payloads including Overwatch Gimbal and Mapping Array. The drone system also successfully completed a series of demonstrations to provide DIU with information and verification of its mission planning and launch capabilities, range and endurance, NDAA compliance, operational safety of flight procedures, and cyber security,” says the FlightWave press release.

The Blue sUAS Edge 130 Blue is designed specifically for government and military ISR, mapping and mission planning applications.  Featuring long range autonomy and high-accuracy data capture, the Edge 130 Blue can be used to provide near real-time situational awareness to ground forces. The VTOL’s light weight –  1200g (2.65lbs) – gives the Edge a flight endurance of over 2 hours in forward flight mode.   Edge “can be rapidly deployed by one pilot from assembly to hand-launch, in 1 minute by a single user to capture imagery to generate 3D models, terrain and thermal maps,” says the press release.

Larry Berkin, Chief Commercial & Operating Officer of FlightWave, stated, “The Edge 130 Blue has the longest flight time of any Blue UAS approved drone and is a superior, long-range, mission-critical tool for the U.S. military and civil agencies. Automated defense capabilities will play an increasingly essential role in our defense programs and are vital to the US ability to remain competitive. FlightWave is a leader in this space, developing some of the most advanced technology for drones. We are proud to be able to support DIU and the work they are doing with the Blue UAS Program.”

Read more:

• FlightWaves Jupiter Tricopter Hits the Sweet Spot for Industrial Drone Applications
• Ocean Alliance and FlightWave Aero Trial Fixed-Wing Drone for Whale Research
• Everything You Wanted to Know About the Blue sUAS Program: DIU on DRONERESPONDERS Webinar
• New Blue sUAS 2.0: 11 Vendors Named for Project to Prototype a New Approval Process