Wildfire suppression using connected UAVs

Wildfires are occurring with more frequency and intensity than ever before. In 2017, the US spent a record $2.4bn on fire suppression and in 2018, a wildfire in Greece was the deadliest in Europe since 1900.

UAVs represent a new tool to fight wildfires. Much cheaper and safer than traditional aircraft, UAVs can fly in areas that normal aircraft cannot and provide a constant aerial presence to help firefighters coordinate activities and track developments.

Because many wildfires often occur in remote areas, satellite broadband is critical to ensure that UAV operations aren’t impacted by obstacles such as hills, which can block UAVs line of sight with ground-based controllers.

Silent Falcon: Helping fight wildfires in the United States

Silent Falcon started working with the US Department of the Interior in 2018 to use its UAVs to map wildfires as they occurred, helping firefighters coordinate suppression activities. Flying at high altitudes, Silent Falcon provides constant eyes in the sky to help firefighters plan ahead.

In the UAV Pop-up Lab, Silent Falcon will demonstrate how Inmarsat satellite connectivity will improve mission efficiency for firefighting operations. Inmarsat’s connectivity will not only provide real-time video capability, it will also alleviate line-of-sight obstructions the UAV would normally face when using a terrestrial based network, allowing Silent Falcon to deploy more quickly as fires start.