The University of Maryland UAS Test Site has acquired 11 TigerShark UAS, which adds to the test site's fleet of more than 40 aircraft, and will ultimately help enhance and expand the long-range testing efforts of the site.

Some of the TigerShark’s characteristics include its ability to carry up to 100 pounds of payload, being able to stay airborne for up to seven hours, and being able to operate as high as 14,000 feet.

Before acquiring the TigerShark UAS, test site pilots and engineers could only perform operations where sensors and other equipment weighed in under 20 pounds, so the TigerShark UAS will be extremely beneficial according to the director of the UAS Test Site, Matt Scassero.

“Some of the most crucial applications of UAS technology—disaster response, communications relay, underground surveys—require the ability to carry heavier payloads for longer periods of time and over distances greater than most commercially available vehicles can manage,” Scassero says.

“With the TigerSharks, we are well positioned to advance innovations in processes and technologies for use in civilian and defense operations.”

The first research operation that will feature the newly acquired TigerShark UAS will be a collaboration with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) “aimed at establishing a communication relay that allows individuals to remotely control ground robots.”

A product of Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC), the UAS will also play an important role in another NAWCAD partnership focused on the development of a secure ground station that is capable of controlling all new and existing Navy UAS.