Echodyne and Supernal Announce Strategic Agreement on Radar Solutions for AAM Safety
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
Today, radar platform company Echodyne announced a strategic agreement with minority investment from Hyundai’s AAM company, Supernal.
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Currently developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, Supernal is aiming to launch commercial flights in 2028. Together, the partners will explore how best to utilize Echodyne’s radars for the increased safety of Supernal’s vehicle and its operations.
“Echodyne offers unique radar-based detection capabilities that Supernal can utilize in Advanced Air Mobility development,” said Supernal CTO Ben Diachun. “Resilient and powerful radar aids airborne situational awareness to improve safety in the air.”
The agreement covers a broad range of the AAM ecosystem, spanning onboard systems for in-flight situational awareness to ground-based solutions for enhanced operational clarity in dense airspace, including vertiports, flight areas and corridors. During airborne missions, the Echodyne radar will offer weather-resistant airspace monitoring for advanced vehicles such as Supernal’s, with potential automated applications in the future. For ground based operations, the radar will provide situational awareness data that supplements the airborne radar, further increasing safety. This collaboration will assist the AAM industry in reaching the highest aviation industry safety benchmarks.
“Supernal is reimagining airborne mobility with the same ‘safety above all’ mentality we have here at Echodyne,” said Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg. “As their team continues to shape the future of the Advanced Air Mobility market, we are pleased Supernal recognizes the value of radar as they track towards market entry. The AAM market is another long-term global market where we have a significant technology advantage and this partnership demonstrates our intention to remain a significant contributor to airspace safety solutions across the industry.”
Echodyne sees the patronage of clients throughout the defense, national security, critical infrastructure protection, uncrewed aircraft systems, and advanced air mobility markets across the globe. Constructed with the use of its proprietary metamaterials electronic scanning array (MESA®) technology, Echodyne’s commercial radars are designed and manufactured in the U.S., and available worldwide under U.S Commerce Department export control regulations.
Read more:
- Supernal eVTOL Vehicle Cabin Concept Showcased at Farnborough International Airshow
- Urban-Air Port Funded by Hyundai’s Supernal: Integrating AAM into Transit Networks
- Hyundai Launches New Company to Advance Urban Air Mobility: Supernal
- Monitoring Drones: How Tools are Evolving to Track Drone Activities in Real Time
- Which Comes First, the Vertiport or the eVTOL? At Italy’s First Advanced Air Mobility Vertiport, Public eVTOL Test Flights
Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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