CybAero's APID 60 Unmanned Helicopter. Photo courtesy CybAero.

by Scott Kesselman



Swedish producer of unmanned helicopter surveillance systems, CybAero, plans to apply for a new export license after the ISP, the agency overseeing Sweden's exports, announced late last week that it would not grant the license.



CybAero applied for the license on 8 Sept. and submitted supplemental information on 30 Sept. based on an agreement with AVIC, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, for delivery of 70 unmanned helicopter systems with 20 to be delivered in the first two years.



The systems will be used for civilian applications, such as powerline inspections, environmental condition monitoring, surface mine inspection and similar applications, according to a company press release.



“Our original export license application was for all 70 helicopter systems, but we only applied for the first 20 in the supplement submitted in September since ISP can only grant licenses for a maximum of two years at a time,” says CybAero CEO Mikael Hult. “We believe that the process of having submitted an initial export application and then a supplement may have led to uncertainty resulting in ISP’s decision not to grant the application.”



The company is working with the ISP, and Hult says they will submit a clearer application this week as they plan to start delivering systems in the second quarter of 2015.