TEKEVER and Santos Lab announce global strategic partnership

TEKEVER and Santos Lab, the leading Brazilian UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) manufacturer, are announcing a global strategic partnership. Both partners will join their capabilities to integrate technology, offer new products and join commercial efforts at a global level, with particular focus on the South American markets.

The AR2 Carcará is the first product to be jointly launched from this groundbreaking partnership and maked its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The AR2 Carcará includes a water-proof airframe designed and produced by Santos Lab, specifically aimed at maritime and amphibious operations. The UAS is fitted with advanced onboard, communication and ground systems provided byTEKEVER, allowing the system to be fully interoperable with all other TEKEVER UAS products, and providing a new range of operational capabilities.

“We’ve teamed up to offer great products, built upon both our capabilities and technology, at a global scale. Santos Lab has a record of coming up with impressive new product designs, and bringing them to the market successfully“, said Ricardo Mendes, COO of TEKEVER Group.

“With this partnership, we are creating a true win-win relation. By being fitted with TEKEVER’s groundbreaking onboard, communication and ground systems, our products can get additional flexibility, versatility and reliability”, declared Gabriel Klabin, CEO of Santos Labs.

TEKEVER Conducts Successful Trials of the AR4 Light Ray UAS in Colombia

TEKEVER conducted an intensive one-week set of trials of the AR4 Light Ray UAS to the Colombian Armed Forces, to validate the system's powerful capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions, under the extreme altitude and weather conditions of Colombia.

With very intense military activity against guerrilla forces and narcotraffic groups, the Colombian Armed Forces are everyday faced with the need to carry out ISTAR missions under extreme weather and geographic conditions. The Colombian landscape is poised with high altitude mountains that contribute to a very instable weather, prune to swift changes and speedy winds. These conditions, coupled with very dense vegetation, pose a true ambitious challenge to the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems by the Colombian Armed Forces.

The technical trials carried out by the AR4 Light Ray UAS were performed at high altitudes, around 3000 meters (about 10.000 feet) and right in the heart of the mountainous region surrounding Bogotá, demonstrating the system’s ability to perform in the most challenging scenarios and under the most demanding weather conditions.

"The trials were a complete success," said Ricardo Mendes, TEKEVER Group COO. "We met and exceeded the goals we had planned for, by demonstrating the usage of the system to perform multiple types of missions in one of the most challenging environments in the world."

In partnership with the Aviation Global Group, TEKEVER's AR4 Light Ray demonstration followed a special invitation from the Colombian Armed Forces in November 2012 to see first-hand the outstanding performance of the system, after its global market launch at the 2012 Farnborough International Air Show.

The Colombian Armed Forces retrieved valuable lessons from the demonstrations, which will be instrumental for its ongoing procurement on mini-UASs that are specially designed for surveillance missions and capable of delivering true airborne superiority. 

"After these trials, we are extremely confident that our system will be successful in fulfilling the special requirements of the Colombian Armed Forces.", said Ricardo Mendes. He reinforced that this opportunity to present the AR4 Light Ray UAS to the Colombian Armed Forces represents an important step towards the reinforcement of Portuguese aeronautics in the global aerospace market. 

TEKEVER Unveils AR5 Life Ray in Portugal

TEKEVER publicly presents for the first time in Portugal the latest addition to its family of Unmanned Aerial Systems, the Tactical UAS AR5 Life Ray, at the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) Annual Convention, taking place on October 10th-12th, in Lisbon. TEKEVER sponsors the most important event for ASD, an Association that has 28 member associations in 20 countries, representing more than 2,000 companies with approximately 80,000 suppliers and bringing together the major players at the ASDS market.

Specifically designed for Maritime and Near-Shore Surveillance and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, the AR5 Life Ray is an impressive 9-meter wingspan platform, able to achieve a cruise speed of 120 km/h, carry a 90-kg payload for multiple sensors and provide satellite communications, thus delivering a new added advantage to current monitoring activities and rescue operations. 

"For centuries, Portugal has looked towards the Sea for technological, social, cultural and economic prosperity. Once, we led innovation in Maritime environments, and it gave us greatness. Now, we are working hard to really push the envelope of technology with the AR5 Life Ray UAS, and it makes a lot of sense that a great product, primarily targeted to the Maritime Market, comes from Portugal.", commented TEKEVER’s COO Ricardo Mendes. The AR5 Life Ray is scheduled to begin operational tests in 2013.

TEKEVER’s UAS at Farnborough Stars in BBC Show

The AR4 Light Ray, TEKEVER’s UAS launched into the global market at the Farnborough Air Show 2012, was presented by the BBC journalist Anita Rani, in a prime time live broadcast from Farnborough, as “the example in Farnborough of the growing importance of unmanned aerial systems”. 

In BBC’s “The One Show”, it was also displayed a segment of the video footage produced by the AR4 while in flight, showing Farnborough’s Airport, the exhibition area and the many aircraft in the airfield (http://autonomous.tekever.com/ar4/index.html). 

The attention given by the British media to the Portuguese UAS is coherent with the enormous interest the aerospace industry and aeronautics professionals have expressed in regards to this first aeronautical product from the TEKEVER Group, which surprises for its effectiveness, flexibility and total ownership cost.

Farnborough 2012 sets Portugal’s entry into the world market of autonomous aerial systems, for the four public flights performed by the AR4 Light Ray, from July 9th to 13th, have attained high-performance levels, in spite of the intense rain and 25-knot wind weather conditions. 

Being the first fully autonomous UAS to perform outdoor flight demonstrations at the Farnborough International Air Show, already in its 48th edition, the AR4 Light Ray has granged the attention of clients, partners, government officials and media throughout the entire week.

Ricardo Mendes, TEKEVER Group’s COO, confirms in the meantime negotiations with different organisations in several continents. 

TEKEVER Disrupts The Unmanned Aerial Systems Market !

AR4 Light Ray in Flight

TEKEVER’s presence at this year’s Farnborough Air Show will be focused on the unmanned aerial systems market. TEKEVER’s AR4 Light Ray will be the first fully autonomous UAS to be exhibited in an international Air Show, performing daily flights between July 9th and 13th.

The AR4 Light Ray is a state-of-the-art mini UAS providing advanced capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions in the most challenging conditions. Featuring a broad sensor payload portfolio, this hand-launched modular UAV platform is extremely adaptable and easy to operate, requiring minimum training and providing precise situational awareness whenever needed. Offering multiple modes of operation, from remotely controlled to fully autonomous, “the AR4 Light Ray delivers true airborne superiority, unprecedented operational readiness, reliable communications relay functions and powerful target acquisition capabilities, focused in on-board intelligence and tracking of specific static or moving elements of interest”, announced TEKEVER’s COO Ricardo Mendes. Farnborough will be the stage for the worldwide market launch of the AR4 Light Ray. TEKEVER is already in negotiations with Organizations from several European, Asian and South American countries.

At the 2012 UK Aerospace industry event, TEKEVER will have its own dedicated stand (Hall 2, Booth C6) and will be also exhibiting in the Static Display a 1:1 model of the AR5 Life Ray, a Tactical UAS that “sets new standards for unmanned systems’ performance in Maritime Surveillance and Search and Rescue operations”, said Ricardo Mendes. 

Make History With TEKEVER at Farnborough 2012

The TEKEVER Group invites you to visit its booth C6 in Hall 2 at the Farnborough Air Show, from July 9th to 15th, in the United Kingdom. 

At Farnborough, the TEKEVER Group signals the international acknowledgment of its leadership in the offer of disruptive technologies for the Aerospace, Defence and Security markets, after winning the coordination of eight European R&D projects in the Aeronautics, Security and Space expertise domains, within the FP7 context.

At Hall 2, Booth C 6, the TEKEVER Group will present state-of-the-art technologies in Tactical Communications Systems, Command and Control Systems and Autonomous Systems, entirely developed in Portugal.  

This Farnborough edition will also be a mark in the History of the TEKEVER Group, and Portugal, when, for the first time, an unmanned aircraft will perform daily flying exhibitions, between July 9th and 13th (http://www.farnborough.com/trade-aircraft/trade-flying-display-aircraft).

TEKEVER's AR4 Light Ray will be the first fully autonomous UAS to be exhibited in an international Air Show, setting a world premier and an accomplishment that will surely be remembered in the world's aeronautical market for years to come, reinforcing the Portuguese technology's positioning in the global worldwide Aerospace market.

President Cavaco Silva Signs TEKEVER’s new UAV for Maritime Operations

The TEKEVER Group presented the new Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle for Maritime Operations in this year’s edition of the Sea Forum, visited by the President of the Portuguese Republic Cavaco Silva that kindly agreed to sign the aircraft, which aims to establish a new era for the missions of the Portuguese Navy.

Specifically designed for maritime surveillance operations, the new UAV reveals advanced capabilities in detection, localisation and tracking of elements of interest, producing high-resolution imagery and video. This potential, allied to the possibility to pursue maritime operations under adverse meteorological conditions, is a differentiating element to the importance of autonomous aerial vehicles in the domains of maritime traffic control, coastal surveillance, fishing activity inspection, illegal activities’ detection, piracy combat and search and rescue operations.

In the context of the Sea Forum 2012, the TEKEVER Group presented its portfolio of maritime safety and security solutions that is the result of intense research and development efforts, involving specialised know-how and promising technologies in the areas of autonomous aerial vehicles, future generation communications systems and network-enabled command and control systems.

 

TEKEVER Takes A Leading Role in European Aeronautics R&D

The TEKEVER Group has been awarded two European Aeronautics R&D projects, coordinated by the Group’s subsidiary companies, in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), in the value of 5 millions and a half euros, reinforcing its leading position as a provider of disruptive technologies for the Information Technologies, Aeronautics, Space, Defence and Security markets. 

In a sector strongly marked by fierce competition of international manufacturers and integrators, the TEKEVER Group invests in technological innovation as the strategy to conquer the international market, developing technologies and products that defy status quo and enable high added value. The two projects now awarded are focused in aerostructures and flight management systems (FMS), introducing new concepts and high potential approaches. 

The CHANGE project explores innovative concepts for adaptive aerostructures, incorporating new composite materials and intelligent materials, with the goal to significantly improve aircraft performance. Project BRAINFLIGHT, which results from the Group’s wide experience with autonomous systems, introduces an unforeseen approach to aircraft control. This new technology allows the shift of the navigation and control paradigm and it is applicable to both manned and unmanned aircraft, in the commercial, military and private contexts, giving way to multiple opportunities of commercial exploitation in the FMS, Flight Control Systems and cockpits international markets.

The two projects’ award, based on their high technological innovation levels, is evidence of the TEKEVER Group’s international recognition in the Aeronautics domain. It also bears a relevant mark for the Portuguese participation in European programmes, doubling the number of projects coordinated by Portuguese entities, and highlighting the TEKEVER Group as the Portuguese entity coordinating the highest number of projects in European Aeronautics R&D.

The results today attained by the TEKEVER Group enable the consolidation of its national leading position in the Research, Development and Innovation for the Aeronautics specialised sector, a market in full growth, and in which Portugal is committing a strategic investment with the creation of a technological cluster of international projection.