Unmanned aerial vehicles, better known as drones, are finally making their way into the agencies of state government, and Huntsville-based Avion Unmanned is in the front of the formation.
The company recently announced it has signed a “participating addendum” with the state of Connecticut, allowing the company to contract with state agencies for the variety of services provided by UAWs, from emergency services, law enforcement support, aerial inspection and mapping data services, support to agricultural and gaming, as well as agency media relations and marketing.
The legal and regulatory hurdle approved by Connecticut comes after Avion’s acceptance by the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization.
Avion is one of just a handful of companies that have made such pacts with state governments, according to UAV Magazine , which names just one other company, DroneUp LLC, a Virginia company that has inked participating agreements with the states of Virginia and New Mexico.
Avion Unmanned is a division of Avion Solutions, a Huntsville engineering company founded in 1992, based in Cumming Research Park, doing advanced research and engineering for the U.S. Army, among its largest clients.
Last month, Avion unmanned achieved a benchmark in the fledgling UAV industry by launching its training services. The company’s Online UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) Training Portal is designed to prepare groups and individuals in the commercial sector, as well as law enforcement, to fly drones. The portal offers self-paced remote training that lines up with recently released Federal Aviation Administration regulations.