Fortem Technologies has announced that it is developing a multi-rotor drone platform known as F700 Patriot.
Features of the new system include faster flight and attack speeds, increased payload capability and flight time, and an integral parachute system.
Initiated as a project to bring enhanced flight dynamics to the DroneHunter product line, the F700 will be an additional option to the existing X3, F12 and M6 platforms that addresses a wide array of customer challenges.
Kendall Fowkes and Eric Fowkes, the principal contributors to the design, were inspired to develop a purpose-built drone platform for safely pursuing and capturing a wide range of rogue drones.
“We are tremendously proud of Eric and Kendall for their tenacity in breaking new ground in drone development. Once fully developed and tested, we anticipate that the F700 will be a valuable asset to our C-UAS security customers, and will bring new options to our award-winning DroneHunter product line,” said Fortem chief technology officer Adam Robertson.
When complete, the new drone platform will join Fortem’s DroneHunter fleet as one of the most advanced, flexible and adaptable drones on the market today. The F700 features will include:
- Integrated, no-tangle, repackable parachute system for immediate and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) safe flight
- Flip-up built-in hood for quick access to internal electronic components, aiding rapid development and maintenance
- Quick-swap battery pack that reduces time between flights and simplifies battery maintenance
- Configurable battery box placement for optimal balance with multiple payload configurations
- Advanced body shell seal for optimal protection in all kinds of weather
- Easy-lock rotor arms and retractable landing gear for simplified shipping and storage
- Fast out-of-the-box assembly and set up
- Lightweight construction, optimal rotor and motors, and multi-battery pack choices make long, aggressive flight times possible
“We are excited about the future of this new platform,” said Eric Fowkes. “We wanted to design a drone that could offer greater performance and advanced safety features to make DroneHunter an even more compelling mitigation tool for security professionals.”
“Most commercial drone platforms are built for surveillance, inspection and video which require very stable and steady flight,” said Jeff VanShaar, Fortem VP of engineering. “The F700 platform is being built with dynamic, aggressive athleticism and more advanced safety features, specifically for enabling the unique autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight DroneHunter use cases.”