DSEI 2019: Drone Evolution showcases Skywire rotary UAS tethering system

Drone Evolution has launched Skywire – a universal tethering system designed for rotary unmanned aircraft system (UAS) applications – at the 2019 DSEI.

The Skywire ground station connects to a vehicle power supply and distributes power from the ground to the UAS while also distributing data from the elevated UAS to the attached ground receiver using a fibre-optic cable.

The Skywire tethering system can extend the flight endurance of rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems. (Drone Evolution)

Operations Director at Drone Evolution Clayton Earney told Jane’s that “Skywire enables a flight duration of up to six hours at an altitude of up to 200 m depending on the payload capacity of the attached [UAS]”.

“Skywire has been tested on a wide range of commercial systems, including the DJI Phantom series and other systems,” Earney added.

The ground station enables the user to deploy a sensor-equipped UAS to enhance situation awareness and enable overwatch and force-protection capabilities for up to six hours, removing the need to recharge or swap onboard UAS batteries. Skywire includes a backup battery capability that enables the attached UAS to land safely in the event of a power failure.

Skywire comprises a ground-station universal power supply, tethering cable that distributes power, and an optional fibre-optic cable used to transmit data from the UAS to the ground station.

Drone Evolution describes Skywire as a modular solution that can be configured to meet a variety of mission requirements. It can be packed in a .50 calibre ammunition box, and a civilian version uses a commercial Peli case enclosure.