Ranked number 1 by the US Army, FAUN Trackway® is highly recommended to provide the runway solution of choice for Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA), otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Drones.
The recommendation follows independent testing at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Vicksburg, US, to find the best commercial-off-the-shelf matting system to support Reaper, Predator and support vehicle operations.
Both PSA Flat Top (PSA-FT), and PSA Flat Top – Reinforced (PSA-FT-R) passed the independent test requirements, with PSA FT-R achieving the accreditation as ‘the highest ranked mat system for RPA operations because of its ability to sustain both the RPA and support vehicle traffic with limited damage and deformation, and because of its ease of installation’. [1. ERDC Evaluation of Expedient Surfaces for Remote Piloted Aircraft, December 2017].
The test programme was solicited by the US Air Force to find a system to improve operational effectiveness, with a light-duty expeditionary mat system to effectively support RPA operations while reducing the logistical footprint required to transport the surfacing system to the field.
Our PSA-FT and PSA FT-R were two of only four commercial products selected for full-scale independent evaluation overseen by the US Marines.
Each matting system was constructed, inspected and subjected to more than 7,000 passes of simulated aircraft traffic movements. The overall ranking considered physical properties, installation, user feedback, and performance for mat damage and deformation.