RMS.L Regulatory News (RMS)

Strat Aero plc / Index: AIM / TIDM: AERO / Sector: Support Services

21 May 2015

Strat Aero plc ("Strat Aero", the "Company" or the "Group")

Enters UAV Commercial Market with Launch of Wind Turbine Blade Inspection Solution

Strat Aero plc, an international aerospace services company focused on the provision of training solutions, management systems and consultancy services to the global aviation market, has launched WindSpect (www.windspect.com), a revolutionary wind turbine blade inspection solution that combines the Company's expertise in the provision of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ('UAV') services with Air Fusion's (formerly Vantage Point Aerospace) innovative software and analytics, to offer superior assessment capabilities and significant cost savings to wind farm operators. WindSpect is a collaboration between Strat Aero and AirFusion, a leader in airborne sensor data fusion software and analytics technology, and is in line with the Company's strategy to capitalise on the rapidly emerging UAV sector in both the military and wider commercial markets.

Modern wind turbines have an estimated lifespan of 20 years. The wind market recognises that proper maintenance of turbine blades begins with regular inspection. The most common wind turbine damage is erosion, cracks and skin de-bonding. Currently, inspections of blades are primarily done visually by an inspector on a rope harness, which can be time consuming (up to six hours), expensive, inaccurate and extremely dangerous. To minimise downtime and boost generating efficiency, implementing a quick and cost-effective maintenance programme is critical.

WindSpect combines Strat Aero's leading position as a provider of UAV training and services with AirFusion's patent pending and highly advanced Wind Edition Inspection software and analytics. Within an hour, an accurate report on each turbine can be generated revealing damage that is difficult or impossible to detect with the unaided human eye such as hidden cracks, foreign bodies, depositions of water, loose adhesive joints and uneven coating.

Potential wind farm customers are being sourced through New Amsterdam Global Solutions LLC ('New Amsterdam') with whom Strat Aero International Inc. has a marketing and sales agreement as well as a six month option to acquire a 70% interest. In addition to this ongoing test programme, Strat Aero and New Amsterdam are actively marketing Strat Aero's UAV turbine and inspection services to the wind turbine and transmission lines industry in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Capt. Russell Peck, CEO of Strat Aero, said: "We are very excited to be partnering with AirFusion to offer the wind turbine industry this revolutionary solution. As the industry continues to grow, regular inspection and maintenance of blades are becoming critical tools for wind turbine operators. Our collaborative approach provides the industry with the most cost-effective and accurate solution on the market today. We believe this is a winning combination.

"Together with our marketing and sales agreement with New Amsterdam, an independent industrial and energy sales and marketing group, Strat Aero is ideally placed to replicate the leading role it is playing in the provision of UAV training and services to the military sector in the rapidly emerging and potentially much larger commercial UAV market. With a programme to test UAV turbine and blade inspection services on a number of wind farm sites owned by major US operators currently underway, I look forward to providing further updates on our progress in due course."

Dennis Chateauneuf, CEO of AirFusion, said: "This is an exciting time to be in the wind and energy industry. For years, the energy industry has been in search of a smarter, more reliable and efficient inspection solution. Our extensive expertise in developing technology for aerospace, technology and government entities has led us to create a software solution that is far more accurate than a manual approach. We are pleased to have found a partner in Strat Aero to bring our combined expertise to market and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with them globally."

- ENDS -

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Notes

Strat Aero plc is a multi-divisional international aerospace services company, focussed primarily on the provision of Unmanned Aerial System ('UAS') training solutions, airline management systems and consultancy services to the international aviation market. The Company has three existing divisions: UAS Pilot Training and Services which operates from the fully functional and multi-faceted UAS Training Centre in Roswell, New Mexico; Aviation Software, Products and Services which includes the Company's proprietary advanced aerospace management system, a cloud-based enterprise wide management solution for the aerospace sector and potentially, other sectors; and Aviation Management and Consultancy Services which has multiple contracts in place including project management of the establishment of a new low cost airline in the Middle East.

The UAV division is looking to capitalise on opportunities resulting from the forecasted strong growth in the airline industry and in particular, the predicted exponential growth in the emerging UAV industry over the coming decade. Civilian, law enforcement and military applications in UASs are expected to be a dynamic growth sector in the aerospace industry over the next 10 years with the UAS market forecast to grow to more than US$82.1 billion between 2015 and 2025 (AUVSI Economic Report 2013) and the global airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ('ISR') market estimated to grow to US$19.23 billion by 2023. Strat Aero already has major contracts in place with international aviation companies, government bodies and universities including and importantly, an agreement with one of the largest US defence contractors to train military pilots to fly fixed wing UAVs at its Roswell centre.

AirFusion

AirFusion develops next-generation aerial data analytics tools. Its patent pending AirFusion Platform fuses pixel-based data and extracts object information from airborne sensors and then analyses it in real-time. The findings are then integrated into enterprise systems such as ERP, CMMS and other critical management tools. For additional information visit www.airfusion.com.