ZenaDrone Moves IQ Quad Toward Blue UAS Qualification
Perhaps the latest achievement by ZenaDrone is not so much about a new quadcopter but rather the move towards the big U.S. government trust filter. Namely, ZenaDrone claims that the IQ Quad, a commercial autonomous quadcopter intended for land surveys and geospatial mapping, will receive Blue UAS certification application in a near future through its U.S.-based subsidiary.
It should be understood that Blue UAS is not just another name. Rather, it is the set of systems and processes which rely on cybersecurity, supply-chain traceability and procurement appropriateness factors and apply to every drone producer wanting to gain access to the U.S. defense and governmental markets. In relation to IQ Quad’s announcement, it becomes evident that a big share of the drone-government business happens way before the stage of aircraft mission execution in terms of documentation and sourcing preparation.
Namely, ZenaDrone has confirmed that the IQ Quad has passed through the stages of flight performance testing, payload sensor integration testing and bill-of-materials documentation required to make a Green-to-Blue UAS certification submission. The aircraft itself is a compact and versatile quadcopter featuring modular and interchangeable payloads, high resolution imaging and AI-powered autonomy with secure communication capacities. ZenaDrone says that IQ Quad can be used for geospatial mapping, surveying, terrain modeling, infrastructure inspection, construction planning and environmental monitoring.
This would be a normal usage of a commercial drone, but the procurement process adds importance to the news. Specifically, the Blue UAS certification, granted by the U.S. Department of Defense, allows for access to multiple defense and government agencies and processes, according to ZenaDrone. Moreover, the company reports that it has three drones currently undergoing the multi-month Green-to-Blue UAS certification process, signaling at the company’s compliance drive rather than an isolated platform test.
At this point, it becomes more and more important to be able to go through the Green-to-Blue route for the ability of U.S. drone manufacturers to put their products into the government hands. The framework, organized by AUVSI and DoD according to ZenaDrone, verifies the presence of appropriate cybersecurity controls and supply chain documentation, including the usage of either domestic or approved suppliers for parts of the airframe. Hence, the qualifying drone manufacturer has to care not only about the performance of the airframe.
Which brings us to the bill of materials. Though it is a regular part of an unmanned system manufacturing process, it plays an important role in the process of documenting where the key components are sourced and whether the aircraft fits into the guidelines of sourcing and security standards. As ZenaDrone notes, Blue UAS certification process provides NDAA compliance and qualification of the made-in-America drone manufacturer for direct procurement by U.S. defense agencies, federal departments and allied governments.
This point is especially important for people following the development of the U.S. drone industry base since the NDAA compliance and Blue UAS certification are usually talked about in terms of one and the same thing. Yet they play different roles in the market and the general tendency is that buyers are interested in receiving both performance and assurances not just an effective drone, but also a certified one whose supply chain and cybersecurity have been proven and who can be procured without difficulties.
For a platform like IQ Quad this has very specific design implications. For example, modular payload architecture increases the versatility of the drone, yet every single sensor integration should be within the compliance story. Secure communication can be a selling point for field operations, but it is also a part of the overall certification process involving software, connectivity and device security. And while AI-assisted autonomy improves the efficiency of the process, the crucial point in gaining government adoption is proving the whole system’s trustworthiness and supportability.
According to ZenaTech CEO Shaun Passley, “Preparing the IQ Quad to enter the Blue UAS certification process is an important step in expanding our portfolio of trusted, NDAA-compliant drone solutions for U.S. government and defense agency customers.” Mr Passley also noted some possible applications of the geospatial and engineering functions of IQ Quad among various federal departments, although any further procurement is dependent on the qualification process and needs of the agency.
From the perspective of the U.S. unmanned systems industry, this is the main issue. The competitive advantage used to reside exclusively in flight characteristics or sensor quality. However, nowadays, it is increasingly shifting towards the ability of a drone manufacturer to prove its control over the components, cybersecurity and documentation to pass through the trusted procurement channel. IQ Quad is at this moment undergoing this hard and less visible stage of drone business and for the government market access, it is the most crucial one.
By Stephen Wallace – Editor for AMI’s aerospace integration and unmanned mobility coverage, focusing on drone manufacturing, VTOL systems, autonomous networks and air-ground mobility links.
