RIDGEFIELD, Conn. -
March 15, 2021 -
PRLog -- Target Arm Inc. announced today the United States Air Force awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) titled,
Fixed-Wing UAS Stand-off/Extended-Range Capability from Any Moving Vehicle. This R&D project will greatly expand the capability of Tular - our Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)/drone platform that enables autonomous launch and recovery from any moving vehicle, plane, train or ship for both military and commercial operations.
Target Arm's CEO & Founder, Jeffrey McChesney added, "Specifically, we will further develop Tular's capabilities to now include fixed wing drones. With Tular's very high cycle rates, an operator will be able to autonomously and easily launch and recover both rotary and fixed wing drones at any time, even alternating between them as needed. Our goal is to simplify the drone operator's effort to a one button 'Launch' or 'Recover' – all while on-the-move!
Not only does this SBIR expand our fixed wing drone capability with ground vehicles, but it is also a necessary precursor to our other Air Force R&D contract to put Tular on an Arsenal Aircraft."
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)/AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, and now in 21.1, the Air Force has begun offering 'Special' SBIR topics that are faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations.
About Target ArmTarget Arm Inc. is a Connecticut-
based firm that produces Tular, a patented device that enables rotary and fixed wing drones to be launched and recovered from any moving vehicle autonomously, and even during windy conditions. Target Arm, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), provides solutions for both military and commercial customers using the exact same device for drones on-the-move (package delivery, Oil & Gas inspections, energy, wind farms, first responders, etc.). Target Arm is a graduate of the 2020 Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars, the 2020 Endless Frontier Labs accelerator and is a resident at the MassRobotics incubator in Boston. To learn more about Target Arm, visit
https://www.targetarm.com.