FAUN Trackway USA will be in Florida next week for one of the world’s premier conferences for expeditionary forces, Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), which takes place in Tampa from 19 to 21 May.
As a leading manufacturer of roadway and aviation solutions, the company will be focusing on its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Landing Mat (UAVLM) and Helicopter Landing Mat (HLM) at SOFIC, to raise awareness of its rapidly deployable suite of products.
The UAVLM was the first product of its kind to be developed specifically for use with unmanned systems and was launched in 2011 as a temporary airfield for drones. The matting is made up of FAUN’s PSA Flat Top lightweight aluminium panels, designed especially for light carriers and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and can be laid where it is not practical or feasible to install permanent infrastructure.
A smooth landing is provided, regardless of terrain, with the solution allowing expeditionary forces to construct temporary runways, taxiways and hard standing areas for UAVs of any size or weight. The UAVLM can be rapidly deployed by hand to prevent foreign object damage (FOD) in challenging environments and arrestor gear can be fitted to allow aircraft to quickly decelerate on landing and stop them overshooting the runway.
It was first put into use by the Australian Armed Forces, which placed an order worth US$1.2 million in December 2011.
The HLM is a system of interlocking military-grade aluminium panels that support armed forces’ mobility needs in remote operations that was designed in conjunction with the UK Royal Engineers. It is available in a variety of sizes to provide a solid landing foundation for all helicopter types and is a flexible solution with variations including PSA, PSA FT and MLC 70 panels. The technology is portable and can easily be deployed manually.
FAUN Trackway USA vice-president Mike Holdcraft said: "Our products support the aerial capabilities of armed dorces by enabling defence operations in hard-to-reach locations.
"This exhibition will allow us to engage with key military personnel and end users from around the world, demonstrating that we can deliver solutions which truly meet their expeditionary needs."
FAUN Trackway USA will be at booth number 649 at the event.