Drone Aviation, a developer of specialized, tethered aerial monitoring and communications platforms serving national defense and homeland security customers, recognized in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program for Best Persistent Aerial Monitoring Solution, has completed a U.S. Army safety and performance review and delivered multiple WASP Lite aerostat systems to the customer a the $1.1 million award, announced in May 2019.

The first-of-its-kind, the WASP Lite systems successfully completed extensive customer operational flight safety and performance testing in Jacksonville and were then shipped to the U.S. Army for transportation to currently deployed ground forces.

(See WASP Lite, a new generation of easily transportable and operationally mobile aerostats. Courtesy of Drone Aviation and YouTube. Posted on Jul 17, 2019.)

The WASP Lite system is an ultra-tactical persistent aerial asset designed to be easily portable in a series of ruggedized cases and is quickly deployable to fill vital capability gaps on the battlefield.

It utilizes the proven capabilities of the Company’s larger WASP tactical aerostat system incorporated into a highly mobile, minimized footprint design.

WASP Lite is a compact, non-trailer based, persistent aerostat system that can be setup and deployed virtually anywhere – on the ground, on a building rooftop or on the back of a vehicle – and operated while stationary or while moving up to 40 mph.

It can be deployed up to 1,000 ft. and supports a wide range of in-field swappable payloads including multiple simultaneous communications waveforms, ISR and signal intelligence (SIGINT) enabling operators to choose the best configuration to match their mission.

In contrast to expensive large aerostat systems, WASP Lite is a new generation of easily transportable and operationally mobile aerostats, the results of significant collaborative product development, testing and operational evaluations conducted with the U.S. Army.

WASP Lite is multi-mission capable featuring a plug and play payload configuration enabling troops in the field to quickly add ISR and communications equipment to match their mission and can be carried by two soldiers, dropped from a helicopter or transported in the back of a small pickup truck.

The May 2019 award was the first received by the Drone Aviation for the WASP Lite and included multiple units, sustainment and soldier training.

“Acceptance testing and delivery of our first production run of WASP Lite systems to the Army is an exciting milestone and we are especially proud that these new systems will be providing critically-needed battlefield communications capabilities for the brave men and women deployed on the ground overseas,” said Jay Nussbaum, Chairman and CEO of Drone Aviation.

“I am pleased that we were able to leverage our recent investments in manufacturing capacity and inventory to deliver these products in record time.”

The ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning WASP Tactical Aerostat, is currently being utilized by the DoD as a mobile, tactical aerial solution that can support multi-mission profiles involving ground and aerial-based assets through communication retransmission.

(See a brief overview of the WASP tactical-sized aerostat. Courtesy of Drone Aviation and YouTube. Posed on Feb 19, 2018.)

Operating at altitudes of up to 1,500 feet AGL, the WASP system can significantly extend ISR capabilities and secure communications in remote and austere locations.

The soldier-operated systems can be rapidly configured to support a variety of mission requirements for days, weeks or months with customized payloads.

Drone Aviation Takes Home the Gold in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program

Drone Aviation

• Best Persistent Aerial Monitoring Solution

• WASP Tactical Aerostat

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.

Over 130 distinguished guests representing National, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:

• The Department of Homeland Security
• The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
• Argonne National Laboratory
• The Department of Homeland Security
• The Department of Justice
• The Security Exchange Commission Office of Personnel Management
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Viasat, Hanwha Techwin, Lenel, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Verint, Canon U.S.A., BriefCam, Pivot3, Milestone Systems, Allied Universal, Ameristar Perimeter Security and More!

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, and Desktop Alert.

Time is Running Out to Enter the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland SecurityAwards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

Comprehensive List of Categories Include:

Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?

Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

2018 Champions Edition

See the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Champions Edition – ‘Best Products of 2018 ‘ Year in Review’ for in-depth coverage of the outstanding products and services of firms receiving American Security Today’s 2018‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards.’

Enter Early to Maximize Media Coverage of your Products and Services at Kickoff, and Get the Recognition Your Organization Deserves!

And be sure to Register Early for the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East 2019 to ensure your place at this limited- space event!

Why the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?

American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’

Why American Security Today?

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 70,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

The old traditional security marketplace has been covered by a host of security publications that have changed little over many years.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that provides our readers with solutions to their challenges.

Our Editorial staff provides a full plate of topics for our AST monthly digital editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts.

The editorial calendar and AST’s high drawing website features 23 different Technology and Marketing Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities and Emergency Response among others.

These sectors are part of the new integration, where these major applications communicate with one another in a variety of solutions to protect our cities and critical infrastructure.

AST has Expanded readership into vital Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other Potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – enticing targets for extremist or lone wolf attacks due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

Drone Aviation Holding Corp. develops and manufactures cost-effective, compact and rapidly deployable aerial platforms including lighter-than-air aerostats and drones designed to provide government and commercial customers with enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities.

Utilizing a patented tether system, Drone Aviation’s products are designed to provide prolonged operational duration capabilities combined with improved reliability, uniquely fulfilling critical requirements in military, law enforcement, commercial, and industrial applications.