As part of a contract with Okayama Prefecture in Japan, teams from Swift Tactical Systems, in collaboration with the company’s Japanese counterpart, Swift-Xi, recently validated Swift’s UAS and capabilities under unique scenarios when they completed personnel search and rescue and animal identification missions as part of a proof of concept program. 

Swift’s ability to perform advanced search and rescue missions in dense forests was validated, as well as the system’s ability to quickly detect, identify, and track the nighttime movements of animals that are destructive to the region.

The joint Swift teams flew integrated UAS including Swift air vehicles with mounted NightHawk2 cameras streaming live video to ground control. During the day and nighttime missions, the operations teams demonstrated superior workflow capabilities.

During one-night flight, the teams identified half a dozen animals, and during another mission, the teams found three separated, lost hikers in a heavily wooded area. Both of these discoveries exceeded performance expectations.

“Our teams proved that our combined military expertise and advanced UAS technology with real-time intelligence and data gathering capabilities are a powerful force in the industry,” says Alex Echeverria, vice president of Swift Tactical Systems.

“We were able to cover a 550-acre area and find all of our targets in less than 35 minutes.”

This was the first time that Wake-Cho tested UAS and technologies to perform tasks commonly addressed by humans on foot, but it was not the first time Swift teams have provided real-time intelligence to government officials in Japan. Swift Tactical Systems and Swift-Xi recently completed multiple contracts for Kobe City, where government officials are using Swift’s UAS and teams to track environmental changes such as landslide monitoring, seawall shifts, algae blooms, and invasive species, all of which pose risks to its aging population.

“As Japan's population rate steadily declines and its aging workforce continues to rise, government officials and the private sector are looking for ways to manage critical tasks that are traditionally performed by people on the ground,” says Rick Heise, president and CEO of Swift Engineering.

“We are proud to support government officials and private sector visionaries who are looking ahead to ensure the safety of Japan's population and its future.”