The U.S. Department of the Interior awarded Albuquerque-based Silent Falcon a multimillion dollar contract for drones to be ready when forest fires start. The Silent Falcon drones are launched by catapult and land using parachutes. They’re solar-powered and can fly up to five hours and more than 60 miles in ideal conditions.
“Silent Falcon makes, we think, the coolest fixed wing, small, unmanned aircraft system in the world,” CEO John Brown said.
The lightweight drones were designed for military functions but can be adapted for commercial use. Some drones are outfitted with retractable cameras that can detect wildfire hotspots from hundreds of meters in the air using infrared. Brown says the Silent Falcon will be deployed above wildfires, soaring higher than water tanker planes. Firefighters will use maps and images from the drone to direct the tankers and monitor fire progress.