Ground & Forward Ground Control
Ground & Forward Ground Control
118 East Columbia River Way
Bingen, Washington 98605, USA
Tel:+1.509.493.8600
Fax:+1.509.493.8601
Insitu ground control stations (GCS) are combat-proven, and designed to support a large range of environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and high wind loads.
The GCS is used to plan missions, control and monitor the aircraft, and manage data received from the aircraft. The GCS includes the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) pilot work station and up to three antennas, one omni-directional antenna and up to two directional antennas. A GCS with a single antenna interface module can actively control only one aircraft. However, Insitu Multiple UAS Software Environment (IMUSE) software can monitor any Insitu unmanned aircraft on the ground network.
The heart of Insitu’s GCS resides in two transportable, extremely rugged cases that house shock-mounted racks. Rack 1 houses the IMUSE computer, and Rack 2 houses the Object Tracker computer. Each rack houses other GCS components including an uninterrupted power supply, and each case can contain all the necessary cables and gear required to connect all components. The result is an easy-to-move, very durable nerve center for the GCS system. Other components in the system include:
IMUSE is the user interface to plan flights, launch, operate, monitor and recover the aircraft. IMUSE is factory-installed on all GCS computer systems. Aircraft are controlled by map-based, drag-and-drop waypoints, and the operator can share information across networked computers. Payloads are controlled via point-and-click, and the operator can quickly develop search patterns and auto-follow targets.
Sometimes you have to take the show on (or off) the road to be closer to the other teams involved in your mission. We developed the Forward Ground Control System (FGCS) as a lightweight, portable way to take full control of an Insitu unmanned aircraft and its payloads for mid-mission phases. The small package includes a series of antennas, a mobile communications package and a ruggedized laptop running IMUSE software.
While small, the system is capable of running the IMUSE software package features for in-flight control. This includes planning, maps and reference imagery, digital terrain and elevation data, annotations and route planning. FGCS accepts the handoff from the GCS system once the aircraft is in flight, and hands it back over for recovery. It can also be operated in tethered and untethered modes. FGCS is a critical component to extend the reach of Insitu UAS via flexible hub-and-spoke operations.
BINGEN, Wash., May 22, 2013 - Insitu announced today that RQ-21A reached Milestone C under the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) contract with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The achievement will enable the program to transition from the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase to a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase and enter initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E).
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BRISBANE, Australia, May 14, 2013 - Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced today that it has delivered a ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to its partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan. This delivery means that the ScanEagle UAS is now ready for operational use by the Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF).
BINGEN, Wash., April 9, 2013 - Insitu Inc. announced today the successful first maritime flight of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) RQ-21A. The nearly two-hour flight launched from the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) after three months of land-based development testing and operational assessment.
moreBINGEN, Wash., April 9, 2013 - Insitu announced today the launch of its partnership with Santos Lab, a leading/innovative developer and manufacturer of hand launched unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The alliance further demonstrates Insitu's commitment to meeting the diversified needs of the Brazilian Armed Forces by forming strategic, long-term relationships with proven Brazilian companies.
moreBINGEN, Wash., Feb. 22, 2012-Insitu Inc. announced today that the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has awarded the company a Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MEUAS) Intelligence Gathering, Target Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services contract for 26 months through Feb. 28, 2015.
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BINGEN, Wash., Feb. 19, 2013-Insitu announced today the successful first flight of Integrator unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Block 2, the latest technology release of the system.
The nearly two-hour flight occurred at the company's flight test range in eastern Oregon and was conducted using Insitu's Common Open-mission Management Command and Control (ICOMC2) ground control station. ICOMC2 enables flight of multiple heterogeneous UAS and enables U.S. and NATO member nations to jointly support military operations through a STANAG 4586 compliant system. The flight completed with the current Mark 4 Launcher and SkyHook recovery systems that supports expeditionary missions and rapid troop movement.
BINGEN, Wash., Feb 14, 2013-Insitu will showcase its combat-proven tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products, services and capabilities at the 2013 International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) Feb. 17-21 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
moreBRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 30, 2012 - Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced today that it has successfully completed integration between its ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and the McQ iScout Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) and OmniWatch technologies.
moreBINGEN, Wash., Oct. 23, 2012- Insitu Inc., announced today that it has signed a long-term licensing agreement with Sentient, located in Melbourne, Australia, to integrate Kestrel land and maritime automated detection software systems into Insitu's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
moreBINGEN, Wash., Oct. 19, 2012- Insitu Inc., today announced that it donated a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft, which participated in a widely publicized rescue mission in April 2009, to The Museum of Flight in Seattle. The aircraft will be displayed for several weeks in the Museum lobby then withdrawn to be prepared for permanent exhibit in the museum's Great Gallery in 2013.
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