Insitu (H3/D17F) will provide its ScanEagle small unmanned air vehicle to the Singapore Navy on a fee-for-service contract.
"That's going to be a ship-based system. They're starting out with a single ship and working up what their utility will be with the system and then the programme will grow from there," says Ryan Hartman, Insitu's senior vice-president. "It's actually a fairly long-term contract that we signed with them, it gives them lots of opportunity for growth."
Singapore has used the aircraft in seaborne trials for several years, which Hartman says is common for prospective customers.
The company is expected to announce more contracts in the coming days. Insitu has signed additional contracts with Middle Eastern nations for both the ScanEagle and Integrator, although the company declined to elaborate on the customers and number of aircraft.
"International growth is very important to Insitu. As pressure in the US market rises, it becomes ever more important for us to grow internationally," says Hartman. "We've seen about a 40% growth in our international revenue, and a lot of that's being driven by some of our key international customers."
The US Navy is ScanEagle's largest customer, but the system is also flown by several Asia-Pacific nations, including Australia and Malaysia.
Source: Flight Daily News
