The United States Department of Defense’s Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) has awarded Planck Aerosystems (Planck Aero) a contract worth $2 million to produce mobile tethered UAS that can be integrated onto tactical ground vehicles.

The mobile tethered UAS are equipped with Planck Aero’s autonomy and vision-guided navigation technology, which the company says is ideal for flying from moving platforms, GPS-denied operation, and target detection and tracking.

“From the beginning, Planck has been focused on developing and deploying the technologies necessary to provide mobile users with actionable, real-time situational awareness,” says Josh Wells, Planck Aero’s CEO.

“This effort will enable us to deploy technology into the hands of those who need it the most – and quickly. We’re excited about moving forward with this effort, and to be able to work with the customer to the benefit of those on the tip of the spear.”

Planck Aero's team of robotics and aviation experts have spent several years building, testing and refining the company’s Autonomous Control Engine (ACE) technology, which facilitates rapid launch and recovery of UAS while on the move. Planck notes that current UAS utilize global positioning, and are not capable of autonomous operation from moving vehicles.

Several different UAS have been equipped with Planck Aero’s autonomy technologies, which provide “push-button takeoff and precision landing” from confined spaces, as well as from moving vehicles and vessels on land or at sea.