ターミナル1.2共通配信
AeroVironment revives Global Observer with new joint venture
エアロヴィロンメントのグローバルオブザーバーが共同事業で復活する
03 JANUARY, 2018
SOURCE: FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM
BY: LEIGH GIANGRECO
WASHINGTON DC
エアロヴァイロンメントが日本のソフトバンクと共同で太陽光動力の高高度長時間滞空無人機を商用用途向けに開発することが発表された。
ソフトバンクは高高度無人機を疑似衛星として活用する事業を支える。同事業はHAPSMobile, Inc.として知られ65百万ドルの共同事業体とする。エアロヴァイロンメントは5百万ドルを負担する。
HAPSMobileは知的所有権を保有し世界各地での商業運用おいび日本で非商業運用の権利も保有する。エアロヴァイロンメントは日本以外での非商業運用の権利を保有し、HAPSMobile向けの機材を生産する。共同事業の合意内容で以上を定める。
今回の発表でエアロヴァイロンメントのグローバルオブザーバー構想が復活しそうだ。これは高高度飛行UAVとして同社がノースロップグラマンのRQ-4グローバルホークやジェネラルアトミックスのプレデターファミリーに対抗しようとした構想だ。
アエロヴァイロンメントはロッキードマーティンと共同でHALE UASとして海外販売を狙うこととした2014年からグローバルオブザーバーで口を閉ざしていた。
グローバルオブザーバーはペンタゴンも資金投入したが試作機が2011年に墜落し、いったん後退し、ペンタゴンも翌年に事業後援を中止した。
だがアエロヴァイロンメントは試作機二号機の開発を続けていた。
HAPSMobileは高高度疑似衛星の実用化をめざすプロジェクトに加わる。エアバスも高高度ゼファーUAVを、フェイスブックもアキーラを開発中。エアバス、フェイスブックは昨年に高高度疑似衛星開発で共同開発に合意している。■
コメント なるほどHAPSMobileは日本で登記する法人になるようです。くわしくはアエロヴァイロンメントの報道発表を下に貼りますのでごらんください。ソフトバンクからは現時点（1月4日正午）で発表されていないようです。防衛用途も想定されているのは衛星の脆弱性をカバーする通信機能への期待でしょうか。民生では汎世界規模の通信ネットワーク樹立まで構想に入っているのでしょうか。地上局の整備コストを軽減するねらいもあれば携帯電話通話料が下がりそうですね。これは期待しすぎでしょうか。
AeroVironment Announces Joint Venture and Solar High-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System Development Program
January 03, 2018
Joint venture to fund development and production of solar-powered high-altitude unmanned aircraft systems
AeroVironment to design and develop solar aircraft and ground control stations for flight testing and certification
Net value of development contract is $65 million
MONROVIA, Calif.,Jan. 3, 2018–AeroVironment, Inc.(NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for both defense and commercial applications, today announced the formation of a joint venture to develop solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance, or HALE, UAS for commercial operations.This category of UAS is also referred to as high-altitude pseudo-satellites, or HAPS.The joint venture will fund the development program up to a net maximum value of $65,011,481.
The joint venture, HAPSMobile, Inc., is a Japanese corporation that is 95 percent funded and owned by Japan-based telecommunications operator SoftBank Corp. and 5 percent funded and owned by AeroVironment, Inc. AeroVironment is committed to contribute $5 million in capital for its 5 percent ownership of the joint venture, and has an option to increase its ownership stake in HAPSMobile up to 19 percent at the same cost basis as its initial 5 percent purchase.
“This is a historic moment for AeroVironment. For many years, we have fully understood the incredible value high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft platforms could deliver to countless organizations and millions of people around the world through remote sensing and last mile, next generation IoT connectivity,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment chief executive officer.“We were searching for the right strategic partner to pursue this very large global opportunity with us.Now we believe we are extremely well-positioned to build on the decades of successful development we have performed to translate our solar UAS innovations into long-term value through HAPSMobile, Inc. Our entire team is excited, and we look forward to transforming this strategic growth opportunity into reality.”
AeroVironment pioneered the concept of high-altitude solar-powered UAS in the 1980s, and developed and demonstrated multiple systems for NASA’s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology, or ERAST program, in the late 1990s and early 2000s.In August 2001, the AeroVironment Helios prototype reached an altitude of 96,863 feet, setting the world-record for sustained horizontal flight by a winged aircraft.In 2002, the AeroVironment Pathfinder Plus prototype performed the world’s first UAS telecommunications demonstrations at 65,000 feet by providing high-definition television (HDTV) signals, third-generation (3G) mobile voice, video and data and high-speed internet connectivity. Multiple United States government agencies funded the development of the hybrid-electric Global Observer unmanned aircraft system from 2007 through 2011.Global Observer represents a solution for extended operation over high Northern and Southern latitudes during local winters, when the sun’s energy is insufficient to maintain continuous solar aircraft operation at high altitude.
SoftBank Corp. and AeroVironment, Inc. have agreed to license certain background intellectual properties to HAPSMobile, which will own the newly developed UAS intellectual property and possess exclusive rights for commercial applications globally, and non-commercial applications in Japan.AeroVironment will possess exclusive rights to the resulting intellectual property for certain non-commercial applications, except in Japan.AeroVironment will also possess exclusive rights to design and manufacture all such aircraft in the future for HAPSMobile, subject to the terms of the Joint Venture Agreement.
For additional information, please see AeroVironment’s Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 3, 2018.
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About AeroVironment, Inc. (AV)
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) provides customers with more actionable intelligence so they can proceed with certainty.Based in California, AeroVironment is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems, tactical missile systems and electric vehicle charging and test systems, and serves militaries, government agencies, businesses and consumers. For more information visit www.avinc.com.
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