Aerial Surveillance Systems has successfully conducted the first flight of SkyEye 350 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350-based aerial surveillance aircraft.

The firm will offer the aircraft as a turnkey, commercial-off-the-shelf, exportable platform to the US DoD, international and foreign government customers.

Aerial Surveillance Systems international sales director Michael D Long said that the company had successfully demonstrated the capability of its aerial surveillance aircraft and was very pleased with the SkyEye 350’s performance.

The SkyEye 350 features FLIR System’s BRITE Star II electro-optical / infrared (EO/IR) targeting sensor.

The modified EO/IR sensor package will capture stabilised high-magnification images that will enable the SkyEye 350 to fly on a range of low-medium-high-altitude tactical missions with long-range covert surveillance operation capabilities.

Long said that their team was now focusing on the next development phases and demonstrations, in order to provide this critical capability to the warfighters as soon as possible.