The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) has taken steps to advance the state’s aviation infrastructure by awarding a contract to Oklahoma City-based Vigilant Aerospace. This contract marks the state’s first investment in an airspace management system and an automatic detect-and-avoid solution aimed at supporting drone flights and the growing Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry.
Oklahoma as an aviation leader
The selection of Vigilant Aerospace is part of Oklahoma’s broader initiative to establish itself as a national testing ground for both civilian and military drones, as well as to facilitate future AAM operations such as electric vertical takeoff air taxis and autonomous cargo aircraft. This follows a recent announcement of new counter-UAS equipment procured for Oklahoma law enforcement.
The contract was executed in partnership with the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA), which operates one of the 14 FAA-licensed spaceports in the United States at the Oklahoma Air & Space Port at Clinton-Sherman Airport.
Vigilant Aerospace is the leading developer of multi-sensor detect-and-avoid and airspace management software for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS or drones). The company’s product, FlightHorizon, is based on two NASA patents and uses data from multiple sources to display a real-time picture of the air traffic around a UAS and to provide automatic avoidance maneuvers to prevent collisions. The software is designed to meet industry technical standards, to provide automatic safety and to allow UAS to safely fly beyond the sight of the pilot. The software has won multiple industry awards and the company has had contracts and users at NASA, the FAA, the U.S. Department of Defense and with a variety of drone development programs. Visit our website at www.VigilantAerospace.com