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AVIAN wins 4-year Unmanned Training contract with New Mexico Tech

LEXINGTON PARK, Md. – AVIAN was recently awarded a follow-on contract with New Mexico Tech to continue its support of the development and instruction of the university’s Drone Assessment and Response Tactics (DART) training courses. 

DART is a counter unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) training course certified in early 2022 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It was developed by AVIAN in collaboration with New Mexico Tech to train emergency personnel to respond to UAS threats.  

“Our team, along with our industry and consultant partners [past and present] collaborated to develop DART, achieved FEMA certification, and have provided expert instruction to more than 2,000 first responders across the nation to date,” said George Franz, AVIAN’s chief operating officer. “I can’t wait to see what this team does over the next four years.”  

AVIAN is currently the sole source provider through NMT for C-UAS training to first responders and emergency management personnel from around the country on behalf of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). In collaboration with NMT and FEMA, AVIAN provides courseware development and instruction. 

“I believe in this training and its mission,” said Tyler Sautter, a former U.S. Army UAS instructor pilot, and AVIAN’s director of Counter Threat Solutions. “Every day, members of my team of over 30 expert instructors step into a classroom to better prepare our first responders for the unknown. I couldn’t be prouder to continue to work alongside them to carry on our support to NMT and the NDPC.” 

Sautter has taught courses in unmanned systems across six continents and has been foundational in the development of the course and bringing on the best instructors to teach these courses in-person and virtually.

“This is an exciting next step in our support to NMT, said Beth Ward, AVIAN’s vice president of the Training, Multimedia and Consulting, and the Test & Evaluation | Flight support sectors. “Over the past four years, we’ve established our credibility and our commitment to the mission of preparing our first responders. Now, we’re going to continue to take it to the next level by leveraging our in-house capabilities for high dynamic eLearning and simulations through 3D design and augmented reality. The more we can enhance the training, the better prepared our men and women on the front lines are in unknown situations.” 

The DART training provides awareness of the unmanned aircraft threat, the legalities of using both drones and counter-drone technology, and an introductory framework of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) to assist first responders and emergency management professionals develop an organized and practiced response to malicious and negligent drones operating within their areas of responsibility. Participants implement detection techniques, track, and identify UAS, assess threats, and implement response techniques.  

As a result of a FEMA grant, these courses instructed by AVIAN are offered by NMT at no cost, including travel and lodging, to any state and local first responder personnel or organization. 

The DART 3-day resident course, PER–392, taught at NMT’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) includes both classroom instruction and field training exercises with live explosive detonations. A mobile 1-day course, AWR-407, and a customized 90-minute course, AWR-407C are also offered throughout 2022.  

About AVIAN’s Counter Threat Solutions Division 

AVIAN’s Counter Threat Solutions (CTS) division is committed to cutting-edge training and solutions to protect people and critical infrastructure worldwide from emerging or evolving technologies by identifying and mitigating credible threats. 

AVIAN’s team is comprised of highly skilled counter-threat experts with prior military, special forces, law enforcement, intelligence, and national security experience. 

Our instructors understand the value of countermeasures and a comprehensive understanding of critical responses to complex hybrid threats. 

We develop training material and curriculum to meet customer needs ranging from management overviews to full tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and execution for security personnel, including field exercises. 

Tactics and Training offered include field tactics, exercises, and demonstrations; scenario-based training; unmanned system(s) demonstrations; classroom instruction; eLearning; and virtual reality enhanced training. 

CTS provides tactics and training, risk assessment, and threat tolerance assessments with a near-term focus on unmanned technologies. Long-term, CTS will leverage its diverse team to combat critical threats such as Weapons of Mass Destruction, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE); Espionage; and Privacy Incursions to the sixteen critical infrastructure sectors identified by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). 

About AVIAN 

AVIAN (*ae-v-yin*) is an employee-owned professional services business headquartered in Lexington Park, Maryland with annual revenues exceeding $73 million. 

AVIAN provides resourceful, responsive, and reachable solutions in program, financial, and logistics management; engineering and systems engineering; test and evaluation of manned and unmanned aerial, surface, and subsurface systems; workforce development and training; communication strategy and graphic design. 

Innovators in the unmanned systems industry, AVIAN has achieved the first helicopter unmanned air vehicle landing onboard a Littoral Combat Ship, the first dual air vehicle flight from a single control station, and the first laser-guided rocket shot from a helicopter unmanned air vehicle. 

AVIAN tests and operates the MQ-4C Triton, the MQ-8B/C Fire Scout, and the RQ-21 Blackjack UAS systems at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in addition to various commercial off-the-shelf UAS systems for government C-UAS efforts.  
 
 


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