TCOM buys small unmanned vehicle maker
Courtesy of TCOM.
By
Ross Wilkers
TCOM is adding a fleet of drones that are intended to be ready for flight in less than 2 minutes.
TCOM has acquired a maker of small multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles as part of a push to incorporate more tethered and untethered drone systems into the product line.
By purchasing Equinox Innovative Systems, TCOM will add more UAVs and other products that are designed to support military operations and other types of mission sets with complex requirement sets. Terms of the transaction announced Tuesday were not disclosed.
Equinox's fleet of UAVs also support critical infrastructure inspection, telecommunications and emergency response. The vehicles are intended to be ready for flight in less than 2 minutes after installing the camera, radio repeater and emergency lighting.
Tethering refers to the sharing of a mobile device's Internet connection with other connected computers. In the case of Equinox, its Falcon vehicles are equipped to replace short temporary towers with one at 400-foot altitudes that can provide 4G and 5G coverage for up to 20,000 simultaneous users.
“Adding their expertise in radio frequency and system engineering, as well electro-mechanical airframe integration, will not only complement our existing technology roadmap but also serve to bring this cutting-edge innovation under one operation to aid in the protection of strategic regions around the globe,” TCOM's chief executive Ron Bendlin said in a release.
TCOM is known for its aerostats that are made for critical infrastructure and force protection, distant warning and awareness, and maritime and border security applications.