According to a press release published by Tekever on October 20, 2021, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has awarded a new contract to CLS, a French Space Agency subsidiary, and TEKEVER, a European drone manufacturer, for remotely piloted aircraft surveillance of European waters.
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TEKEVER AR5 Unmanned Aerial Systems (Picture source: Twitter account of Arda Mevlutoglu)
Through a four-year contract with maximum budget of €30M, EMSA is replacing a previous contract signed in 2018 for flights beyond visual line of sight by adding a new rescue capability: CLS and TEKEVER have added a new device to the maritime patrol version of their remotely piloted aircraft, able to deploy rescue boats for up to 8 people.
The device also features Artificial Intelligence that calculates the best time to release the lifeboat to get as close as possible to the ship or person in distress.
EMSA is facilitating increased collaboration between European countries by enabling the deployment of regional operations and in doing so enhancing the effectiveness of surveillance over European waters.
The collaboration between CLS-TEKEVER consortium (named REACT) and EMSA is already rooted in a strong history through several drone operations since 2018. Totaling no less than 1200 flight hours on the counter and nearly 250 missions over 4 years.
These flights have established the strong utility of remotely piloted aircraft for maritime surveillance and safety in European waters, environmental protection (detection of oil pollution, potential identification of polluters, and support for the fight against illegal dumping), fisheries control, the fight against illegal fishing and general maritime law enforcement.
TEKEVER AR5 is the most advanced medium-altitude, medium-endurance fixed-wing UAS in the market. Missions such as Search & Rescue, Maritime Surveillance and Maritime Patrol benefit from the higher capability, increased endurance and reduced operating costs offered by the TEKEVER AR5.
