Nightingale Intelligent Systems, an ASX-listed developer of autonomous security drone technology, has signed an expansion contract with the San Pablo Police Department (SPPD) in California for the delivery of two additional AI-powered Blackbird Robotic Aerial Security (RAS) systems.
The expansion contract brings bringing the police department’s total to five systems, Nightingale said in an ASX announcement.
The systems are intended to enhance citywide drone coverage and bolster the SPPD’s pioneering Drone as a First Responder program.
The SPPD has settled the $460,000 pre-payment for the RAS systems, which includes payment for maintenance, repair, and upgrade service revenues. Further payments under the expanded contract are due in fiscal year 2024.
The police department has expressed its intent to further expand city drone coverage with Nightingale in the coming years.
As part of the expansion, the SPPD will begin hosting other US law enforcement agencies at their facility to showcase their DFR program and the dynamic partnership with Nightingale, highlighting the company’s commitment to advancing public safety and elevating situational awareness for law enforcement officers during critical incidents.
The contract expansion has also enabled Nightingale to obtain Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (T-BVLOS) approval for its Blackbird drones from the US Federal Aviation Administration.
“This approval is a testament to the reliability and effectiveness of our AI-powered Blackbird RAS systems,” said Jack Wu, CEO of Nightingale. “We are excited because this approval sets a good example of how to clear an important regulatory hurdle and will boost the confidence of other potential customers to consider drone solutions for security and other applications.”
Meanwhile, the Australian company expects to receive the BVLOS approval for the San Pablo operational area soon.
Nightingale said the expansion with the SPPD, along with its ongoing discussions with other police departments, will foster greater trust among potential law enforcement users and drive accelerated adoption of Nightingale’s drone systems across the DFR landscape in the USA and overseas.
