City Council and the Valencian firm UAV Works agreed on the transfer of the fixed-wing, vertical takeoff aircraft
Benidorm incorporates a new state-of-the-art drone that will increase the operational capacity of the Local Police Air Unit
The aircraft has the necessary technology to integrate into the U-Space system and will be used to collaborate in the European U-elcom project
Benidorm Local Police Air Unit has incorporated a new state-of-the-art drone into its fleet that will increase its operational capacity in actions carried out at sea, in the mountains and at large events, both during daylight hours and nocturnal. The mayor, Toni Pérez, and David Ortiz, administrator of the Valencian company UAV Works, which has developed the aircraft, have signed a collaboration agreement today for the transfer of the drone for one year.
Toni Pérez has pointed out that “Benidorm, with its Local Police, was a pioneer at the time in the use of drones to improve security, surveillance and service to citizens, as well as in creating a unit and specific regulations; a determined commitment with which the city has positioned itself as a reference at a national and European level.” In fact, “Benidorm is currently a laboratory for leading European projects that seek to develop the use of drones for the assistance and transportation of goods and people.”
This position “also encourages technology companies to want to test their technologies here and that is precisely what happens in this case with this collaboration with UAV Works, which also has an added attraction for us since we shake hands with the talent of our land, from the Valencian Community, emerged from one of our main 'partners' in everything that has to do with drone technology: the Polytechnic University of Valencia."
Based on this collaboration agreement, the Local Police Air Unit will have this aircraft at its disposal for twelve months, which has the necessary technology to integrate into the U-Space system. It is a fixed-wing drone with vertical takeoff and landing and is equipped with a very high-resolution thermal camera with a very powerful zoom. Its technical characteristics and performance allow it to cover large aerial surfaces.
Benidorm, for its part, provides its urban space, thereby generating the flight hours required to test and validate the U-Space system, which can subsequently be exported to any European city. Thus, we collaborate on the European project U-ELCOME, whose objective is to integrate and validate the first U-Space services on the continent. That is, organize and manage the airspace of drones so that these aircraft can develop their full potential and applications and make possible the massive use of drones in logistics, health and people transportation services.
The Local Police Air Unit has announced that this new aircraft will begin to fly over Benidorm when the section's pilots complete their training in the use and piloting of this drone.
Best public sector drone operation
The signing of this agreement occurred just a couple of days after the Air Unit of the Benidorm Local Police received the award for the 'Best drone operation in the public sector', precisely for the pioneering use of aircraft applied to security and mobility, among others.
The award ceremony took place during the 'III Fair of High Security and Intelligence Technologies, Drones and Anti-Drones' held in Madrid and sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior.
