DSEi Special Report 

Hot on the Market: Mini-Drones With Digital Cameras 

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by Grace V. Jean 

LONDON - Mini-drones equipped with digital cameras are troops’ favorites these days.

At DSEi, there is no shortage of these cool gadgets. Air 2 Air Ltd demonstrated its latest mini-drone near its stand tucked away in the northeast corner of the hall behind an Apache helicopter. The company’s DraganFlyer X6 is a small six-rotor robotic helicopter designed to carry a commercial digital camera. Manufactured by Canada-based Draganfly Innovations Inc., the aircraft whirred quietly and held its hover position in an unwavering, almost-stealthy manner just as its namesake does in nature. Onboard software that takes in GPS coordinates allows the aircraft to maintain its position with remarkable precision, says David Cooper, director of Air 2 Air, the U.K. distributor of the aircraft.

The DraganFlyer costs about $35,000. The price includes the helicopter and the 10.1 megapixel camera, delivery charges, two-day on-site training and one-year support and maintenance.

A few aisles away, soldiers from the British Army carry out a demonstration of their own to illustrate the utility of various technologies for a project called the “Comprehensive Approach to Operations.” Based on the “three-block war” concept coined by former U.S. Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Charles Krulak, the U.K. concept shares the similar belief that ground troops in the future will have to prepare for a full spectrum of conflict, ranging from high intensity operations to peace support and security operations to humanitarian assistance. Officials here concur that small unmanned aerial technologies and other robotics will play a key role in all of these areas.
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