The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced today that Ascent AeroSystems “Spirit” platform has been added to the Blue UAS Cleared List of approved small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Beginning immediately, any U.S. government customer can buy and operate a Spirit without further technical review or approval.
“We’ve been shipping Spirits since 2020, and our customers worldwide have come to appreciate the rugged versatility it delivers,” said Paul Fermo, VP of Business Development. “We’re pleased that government and municipal customers will now be able to get the systems they need with a few mouse clicks.”
The DIU Blue UAS program was established to provide a comprehensive vetting process for selected unmanned aerial systems. By eliminating duplicate approval processes across various branches of the government and defense agencies, operators and manufacturers can quickly get systems into the field where they’re needed.
“Government agencies can’t pick and choose when and where they fly,” said Peter Fuchs, CEO. “The Spirit’s coaxial configuration delivers the compact, high performance, all-weather capability needed for those mission-critical applications. Its modular design allows operators to not only configure it exactly as it’s needed for the mission at hand, but easily adapt new sensors as they become available.”
The company has Spirits currently available for immediate delivery, and delivery positions are being accepted for additional units slotted for shipment beginning in August.
