WILMINGTON, Mass. – Ascent AeroSystems , the world’s leading manufacturer of compact, high-performance, coaxial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone systems, announced today that its flagship Spirit™ platform has been named to the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Green UAS Cleared list.
AUVSI’s Green UAS program builds on the standards set forth by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and reinforced by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS program. Green UAS is designed to help commercial and non-DoD agencies confidently procure NDAA-compliant UAS that meet the security, supply chain, and operational requirements for critical public safety, infrastructure, and industrial operations. It is currently the only non-DoD method proving the same level of verification and certification for cybersecurity and NDAA supply chain compliance as Blue UAS.
“Transitioning the Spirit to the Green UAS Cleared List further demonstrates Ascent’s commitment to its current and future government customers, and to the manufacturing and cybersecurity discipline necessary to support mission critical UAV operations at scale,” Ascent AeroSystems’ cofounder and CEO Peter Fuchs said. “The Green UAS Cleared List, created and maintained by AUVSI in collaboration with DIU, assures customers that the Spirit will continue to meet the government’s stringent supply chain and security standards even as DIU’s small UAS qualification program continues to evolve.”
Green UAS certification is a fully vetted signal to industry and operators that the America-made Spirit is a safe and secure platform for a wide range of mission profiles. Offering more capability, greater payload flexibility, and unmatched operational availability versus other UAVs in its class, Ascent’s Spirit is a compact, reliable, all-weather, high-performance platform.
“Ascent AeroSystems’s successful completion of the Green UAS process verifies that their coaxial drone platform meets the highest levels of cyber and supply chain security,” said Casie Ocaña, Director, Trusted Programs at AUVSI. “AUVSI is committed to supporting the growth of technology supply chain that ensures robust availability of safe, secure drone solutions. The Spirit’s demonstrated effectiveness and Ascent’s ability to manufacture at scale aligns with our mission to expand accessibility to vetted UAS that serve security-sensitive sectors.”
The Green UAS certification process included a review of the Spirit’s inherent security—including all components and subcomponents, supply chain risk management with continuous monitoring, remote operations security and connectivity, and a review of the company’s corporate cyber hygiene.
Ascent AeroSystems has taken a holistic and proactive approach to cybersecurity hygiene based on the NIST-800 171 standard and is prepared for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 certification as the program rolls out.
About Ascent AeroSystems
Founded in 2014, Massachusetts-based Ascent AeroSystems designs and manufactures rugged, coaxial unmanned aerial vehicle drone systems for defense, public safety, and industrial markets. The compact, all-weather, high-performance vehicles feature a unique cylindrical configuration that’s far more portable and durable than conventional multirotors, ideally suited for mission-critical operations in the toughest environments.
Torrance, CA-based Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), a premier aerospace OEM with 50 years of manufacturing experience and more than 13,000 type-certificated aircraft delivered to date, acquired Ascent AeroSystems in April 2024. Ascent is now a wholly owned RHC subsidiary. For more information, visit https://ascentaerosystems.com/.
