UTC Wins $103K Grant to Improve UAV Safety



By Priya Potapragada



UTC Aerospace Systems, an aerospace systems manufacturer based in Connecticut, received $103,000 grant from SoarOregon to work on UAV flight test safety.



The grant provisions will allow a next-generation transponder, designed and manufactured by Sagetech Corp., to integrate with the UTC Aerospace Systems’ Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo flight management system.



“Evolving the Piccolo autopilot to support civilian UAV applications is a significant part of our technology roadmap,” says John Trezza, vice president of Force Protection at UTC Aerospace Systems. 



“This grant helps accelerate our work in advancing UAV flight safety,” he says.



SoarOregon is a state organization with a mission to provide grants to local companies to help Oregon’s UAV industry grow.