Drones for disaster response and relief operations

Since the introduction of civilian drones, drones have found several uses across various industries. Drones are now being used for disaster response and relief operations with an aim of providing both air and ground support to victim of various disasters. Drones for disaster response and relief operations are usually more advanced and come with a number of features that make them ideal for this kind of usage. Below are some of the drones that are best used for disaster response and relief efforts.

1. Lockheed Martin Stalker

The Lockheed Martin Stalker is among a set of drones known as Group 1 drones. It is designed to weigh less than 20lbs and can fly within a height of 1000ft. The Martin Stalker comes with a powerful battery than can power the drone during its flights and is also rechargeable. This drone comes with an attached camera for surveillance purposes and is designed with an endurance of between 20 minutes and 2 hours of flight time. This allows it to carry small payloads for short distance delivery during disaster response operations and during rescue missions.

2. Boeing Insitu ScanEagle

The Boeing ScanEagle falls under Group 2 drones in the disaster response unit. It weighs slightly more than 50lbs and can operate up to an altitude of 3500 ft above ground. The ScanEagle also has a detachable camera with infrared capabilities to help it maneuver in dark environments at night and during very low visions. Although it is relatively small in size, the Boeing Insitu can carry small payloads to and from various destinations. It is one of the most common drones designed for use in this type of operations. The ScanEagel has a flight time of 20 hours.

3. Lockheed Martin Fury

The Lockheed Martin Fury falls under Group 3 of disaster response drones and is slightly bigger in size than the Group 2 drones. It weighs slightly above 1300lbs and can fly up to a height of 18000 ft above ground. Because of its large size, the Martin Fury is capable of carrying large payloads than other UAVs. Even though the Fury comes with a powerful engine and a bigger size than its peers, the drone has a slightly lower flight time endurance which is compensated by the large payload capacity. Fury can carry up to 100 lbs of weight at a time and can fly for over 15 hours without any interference Also, because of the large size, the drone has a number of sensors and other communications equipment for use during rescue missions.

4. The Lockheed Martin K-MAX

The Lockheed Martin K-MAX falls under Group 4 drones and are much bigger than all the other drones used in disaster response operations. It weighs way more than 1300lbs and has a bigger size. It is designed to be optionally manned with an onboard autonomy kit that also helps it stay airborne unmanned. The K-MAX is designed to stay airborne for longer periods of up to 48 hours and can carry huge payloads at a time. The fact that it can also be manned guarantees its size and capabilities. It has a number of advanced features including night vison cameras and several sensors to help during disaster operations. The K-MAX can lift of payloads of up to 500lbs at a time.

5. General Atomics Predator and Reaper

The Atomics Predator is among the largest drones that are mostly operated and deployed by the military. They have a higher flight range and can fly up to altitudes of 30,000 ft above ground. They are usually very large in size and are capable of carrying huge payloads at a time. The Atomics Predator looks much like an aircraft although it is smaller than a passenger aircraft. It is designed with a number of sensors and features that enable it to fly in different environments including warzones. These drones have very long flight times and are known to stay airborne for days, sometimes weeks. It comes with a powerful camera that can zoom multiple times and can also film in low light environments. The drone can carry multiple loads and deliver them safely to disaster prone areas and also assist in such and rescue operations.