January 2019
·
24 Reads
Whilst there has been some limited use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) as part of the response to natural disasters, to date these have typically employed short range mini or micro systems. Using a case study of Cyclone Winston that struck Fiji in February 2016, this chapter demonstrates the potential for long endurance aircraft (LE-RPAS) to support the humanitarian logistic operations through the use of their high quality optics and communications capabilities. In doing so, it offers a high level route map for the development of the people, process and technology requirements that will be needed to underpin the future deployments of LE-RPAS in providing support to humanitarian activities.