Login
iscover
Canberra-based XTEK has announced that it has received a purchase order from the ADF for small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) spare parts. The service contract is worth $3.2 million and builds on XTEK’s historical working relationship with the ADF.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
XTEK's comprehensive SUAS repair and maintenance facility in Canberra will continue to provide support to the ADF's growing Wasp AE SUAS fleet, in line with the long-term support contract secured in September 2019.
This support contract is for an initial period of three years, with multiple options to extend up to 2026, and is expected to be worth up to $35 million. XTEK's key support services consist of spare parts, training, maintenance and repairs, including installation of spare parts, electronics and composite materials of the product itself.
Under the previously secured contracts supplying to the ADF, over 50 AeroVironment Wasp AE SUAS have been delivered, with more systems scheduled to be delivered in 2020. Further sales of AeroVironment SUAS are possible as the ADF finds innovative applications to employ SUAS in the field.
The Wasp AE weighs in at just over a kilogram, and delivers best-in-class capabilities for a UAS of its size. According to AeroVironment's website, these include:
- Stealth-like manoeuvrability;
- Superior imagery capabilities;
- Encrypted video;
- Mechanical payload stabilisation;
- Optional manual/autonomous navigation; and
- "Exceptional" user interface.
XTEK said that the company is "well-placed to capture additional support revenue underpinned by the existing contracts with the ADF for additional SUAS and spare parts".
