Pubic-private research program to launch at Camp Shelby Friday
A public-private, open-source UAV program will launch Friday with the aim of boosting innovation and cutting costs of the government’s fleet of UAVs to compete in an industry worth $8.1 billion, according to program organizers.
The Open Source Unmanned Remote and Autonomous Vehicle Systems (OS-URAVS) program kicks off Friday with a media tour at Camp Shelby’s Joint Forces Training Center in Mississippi, home of the nation’s only Unmanned Aircraft Regional Flight Center.
Globally, unmanned vehicles and their payload systems represent an approximately $50 billion market.
The OS-URAVS program is a collaborative, multi-agency program administered in conjunction with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Acquisition University and non-government entities, including the Open Source Software Institute, a national, nonprofit promoting the development and implementation of open-source software within U.S. federal, state and local government agencies.
Shelby is also the nation’s largest mobilization station for the reserves, has access to nearly 100 square miles of restricted air space and currently operates training and testing facilities for a variety of military, government, and other organizations.
In 2010, the post became home to the nation’s only Unmanned Aerial Systems Flight Center, where construction and equipment worth $72 million is underway.
