AirMap and Raytheon Co. have signed a strategic agreement to collaborate on future projects aimed at unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) integration.
The agreement combines the two companies’ specialties: Raytheon’s Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, or STARS, is used by U.S. air traffic controllers to provide aircraft spacing and sequencing guidance for more than 40,000 departing and arriving aircraft daily at both civilian and military airports. AirMap is a provider of airspace intelligence for UAS operations, with over 250,000 registered users.
“Raytheon technology has helped safely and effectively manage airspace in the most complex, dense controlled airspace in the world for decades,” comments Ben Marcus, AirMap’s co-founder and chairman. “They are an ideal partner to join AirMap on the path toward enabling safe, efficient and scalable drone operations in U.S. low-altitude airspace between 0 and 400 feet.”
The two companies intend to demonstrate an integrated solution that will showcase how AirMap’s UAS traffic management platform can enhance air traffic controllers’ awareness of potential conflict between drones and manned aircraft near airports.
“AirMap is ushering in a new era of drone aviation,” says Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon’s intelligence, information and services business. “Drones must safely operate in an already complex ecosystem, which is where our experience matters.”
