SA police to buy mini-UAVs
South Africa is host to the 2010 Soccer World Cup; in preparation, the SA police is buying mini-UAVs and integrating them into the force; the UAV — Kiwit — is carried in a suitcase, weighs 3.5 kg, and can be assembled by a single person in five minutes
South African aviation mission systems integration and unmanned air vehicle (UAV) manufacturing company, the Paris-based Advance Technologies & Engineering (ATE), has revealed that they are in the final stages of negotiating the sale of a Kiwit mini-UAV system to a South African government security agency. Although not confirmed, this is likely to be the South African Police Service. The Kiwit is expected to be employed in security and crime prevention operations.
The agency concerned most probably will buy a small number of systems at first, in order to undertake operational evaluation and to develop an operational doctrine for the UAV. ATE hopes that this will be followed by orders for substantial a number of Kiwits.
The Kiwit UAV is carried in a suitcase, weighs 3,5 kg, and can be assembled by a single person in five minutes. It is lodged by hand and has automated flight guidance. The UAV has an endurance of one hour, a range of five kilometres, and employs a laptop as its ground control unit.
It is expected that, if successful, the Kiwit will be employed in security operations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. ATE states that the Kiwit project is driven by a desire to get the UAV into operational service before 2010.
ATE made the announcement at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2008 exhibition in Cape Town.
