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History


Insitu is a pioneer leader in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) market. Founded in 1994 to develop miniature robotic aircraft for offshore weather reconnaissance, Insitu specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance and low-cost UAS for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Practical applications of the technology include military reconnaissance, the creation of internet networks in remote areas, border patrol, coastal monitoring, anti-sniper systems, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, disaster relief, and other missions that are dull or dangerous for human pilots.

Insitu’s Insight class of unmanned aircraft (UA) includes the military ScanEagle™, developed in partnership with Boeing, and the commercial Fugro Georanger™. Joining Insitu’s operationally mature family of systems is the Integrator UA, which uses the same support infrastructure as Insight, including a common ground control station, launcher, and recovery system, and retains the same superior imaging capability and endurance characteristics. In addition, Integrator provides the weight, volume, power and plug-and-play communication interfaces that allow customers to seamlessly integrate their own payloads into a world class UAS.

Insitu prides itself on maintaining the agile and innovative problem-solving capabilities that have marked its short, but brilliant, history even as it grows to a 300+ employee, multi-facility operation. Insitu systems have been proven over land and at sea, in both civilian and defense operations. ScanEagle is currently deployed with the United States and Australian military forces.

A timeline of some outstanding achievements:

2008 
FebruaryScanEagle achieves 10,000 flight hours in support of Australian Army operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

2007 
DecemberInsitu closes $25M Series D from Battery Ventures
DecemberInsitu CEO Steve Sliwa is named CEO of the year by Washington CEO Magazine
November
ScanEagle becomes the first UAV to operate from a US Navy Destroyer
October
Insitu ranks #4 on the Deloitte Washington State Fast 50 list
SeptemberInsitu ranks #87 on the Inc. Magazine Fast 5000 list
SeptemberScanEagle logs 700 Navy shipboard recoveries and 50,000 flight hours
AugustInsitu unveils the new Integrator UAS
JulyBoeing is awarded U.S. Marine Corps contract to extend ScanEagle services
June
Boeing Australia Limited is awarded an AUD$20 million contract to provide ScanEagle ISR services to the Australian Army in Afghanistan
AprilInsitu reaches a record of 14,000 hours flown since the beginning of the year. Total operational flight time crosses 45,000 hours
AprilScanEagle logs 1,000 flight hours in support of the Australian Army in Iraq
AprilInsitu aircraft surpass 3,000 hours of commercial flight operations
March
Insitu receives the Department of Homeland Security Safety Act Certification for ScanEagle and Insight
FebruaryScanEagle achieves compliance with the NATO UAV Interoperability Standard (STANAG 4586)
JanuaryInsitu breaks a new endurance barrier with its heavy-fuel engine equipped ScanEagle. The new configuration flies for 28 hours and 44 minutes using JP5 heavy fuel.
January
Boeing Australia Limited announces a contract award to provide ScanEagle ISR services to the Australian Army
2006 
Dec 31Insitu hits a record high of 20,941 total hours flown in one year. This brings the overall total hours flown to 30,708, with 28,130 of those being flown for the USMC and the USN.
Dec 22The Australian Army begins operating ScanEagle in Iraq.
Nov 9ScanEagle UAS completes a record-breaking 22 hour 8 minute endurance flight.
Oct 19Insitu is ranked as the 30th fastest growing company in North America on Deloitte's 2006 Technology Fast 500. Insitu attributes its 9,140% revenue growth to its continued dedication to flexible problem solving, continued innovation, and a top notch team of employees.
Oct 4Insitu takes First Place in the Pacific Northwest's Fastest Growing Technology Companies in Deloitte's Technology Fast 50.
Aug 29IMSAR and Insitu introduce the one-pound Nano-SAR, a micro miniature synthetic aperture radar
June 30Insitu participates in NASA / US Forest service flight demonstration in central California
June 24Insitu hits the big time, hiring its 200th employee!
May 26ScanEagle is called in to monitor the Iraqi Khwar Al Amaya oil terminal fire
May 24Steven M. Sliwa, President and CEO of Insitu, is named as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award for the Pacific Northwest region.
May 8Insitu, Inc. secures series C financing from Battery Ventures
Feb 28ScanEagle surpasses 10,000 combat flight hours in less than two years.
Jan 13Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Mr. Ryan Henry, visits Insitu.
2005 
Oct 4Insitu is ranked 10th in the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 50 within the state of Washington.  Insitu ranks 169th within Deloitte's National Tech Fast 500
Oct 1Insitu's 125th employee is hired today!
Aug 15Insitu exceeds 100 production vehicles
Jul 20ScanEagle Completes JFCOM Exercise Extended Awareness at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz.
Jul 16ScanEagle Deploys with ESG-3 Aboard the USS Cleveland
Jul 16-17ScanEagle Participates as the only UAV in the Royal International Air Tattoo (Fairford, UK)
Jul 14ScanEagle Exceeds 4,000 Combat Hours in Iraq
Jul 14USMC Awards Additional 12-months of ScanEagle Service in Iraq
Jun 11ScanEagle Launches and Recovers from USS Cleveland
Jun 6ScanEagle Exceeds 3,000 Combat Hours in Iraq
May 15Insitu Reaches Employee #70
May 5Insitu Participates in Convoy Support Demo in Indian Springs
Apr 22Insitu is selected by the Department of Defense to host a Secretary of Defense Fellow for one year.
Apr 14ScanEagle Participates in Live-Fire Demonstration for the DARPA Program Composition of Embedded Systems (PCES) at the White Sands Missile Range
Mar 28ScanEagle Exceeds 2,000 hours in Iraq
Mar 21ScanEagle Supports Convoy Escort Demonstration at Ft. Blanding for the UAV Battlelab with several ScanEagle hand-offs to a moving Humvee in a convoy
Mar 4ScanEagle Flies in UK Ministry of Defense Joint UAV Experimentation Program (JUEP)
Jan 8ScanEagle and Sea Fox demonstrate joint operations
2004 
Dec 18ScanEagle Flies in convoy demo in Indian Springs, Nev. for USAF UAV Battlelab
Sep 4SeaScan Operates from the vessel Shackleton in the open ocean
Aug 5World Record for Ship-Based Endurance Flight of 16 hours 45 mins
Aug 4First Autonomous Night Landing on a Moving Ship
JulyScanEagle Deploys to Iraq with USMC I-MEF
Jun 12-22ScanEagle Participates in Forward Look III Exercise at Cherry Point, NC with Shadow and Predator
May 20New Endurance Mark Established of 20.1 hours
May 19Insitu, incorporated in 1994, turns ten years old.  Happy birthday!
Apr 28SeaScan completes First Autonomous Flight on Moving Ship with perfect launch and recovery
Apr 24Insitu Moves into New 25,000 sq ft Facility
Mar 28-31ScanEagle Participates in Forward Look Exercise at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. And Demonstrates Cooperative Operations with the Predator
Mar 19ScanEagle successfully demonstrates its improved ObjectTracker software
Mar 11ScanEagle achieves an altitude of over 19,300 feet
Jan 18ScanEagle demonstrates first Autonomous SkyHook Recovery
Jan 10Insitu-Fugro Partnership for GeoRanger Development
2003 
Nov 12ScanEagle Demonstrates Communications Relay with Enhanced Position Locating and Reporting System (EPLRS)
Oct 12Flight Demonstration for UK Ministry of Defense
Aug 26ScanEagles Demonstrate Ability to Fly Together, or Swarm
 Boeing/Insitu Achieves Endurance Milestones with 15+ Hour Flight
Jul 14ScanEagle Completes Successful Demonstration Flight at NAVAIR/AUVSI Webster Field UAV Air Show
Feb 7Insitu Highlighted in Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Study "Transforming the Defense Industrial Base: A Roadmap"
Jan 29The Insitu Group participates in Joint Military Exercise 'Giant Shadow' and Demonstrates Communications Relay and Surveillance Capabilities in Adverse Conditions
2002 
 SuperWedge Pneumatic Catapult Development with Innovations to original Wedge Catapult
MarInsitu - Boeing Partnership for ScanEagle Development
FebInsitu Has Three Employees
2001 
 SeaScan Prototype Developed for the Commercial Fishing Industry
 Wedge Pneumatic Catapult Development and Patent
 SkyHook Development and Patent
 Gyro Stabilized Video System Development
1999 
Jun1000 flight hours with Aerosonde
1998 
 Joint Insitu/ES&S Program Ends
Aug 20-21First Atlantic Crossing by a UAV Accomplished by Aerosonde Laima
1995-1998 
 Field trials conducted in North America, Australia, and Asia
1995 
 Insitu licenses the Aerosonde core technology to SES Pty Ltd (now ES&S) and joined a program with ES&S and the BOM for joint development
1994 
May 19Insitu incorporated as The Insitu Group, Inc. in Bingen, Washington by Tad McGeer and Andy von Flotow
1992 
 Insitu Founded by Dr. Tad McGeer