Guardian Agriculture, the leading developer of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems for commercial-scale sustainable farming, announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its aircraft nationwide. FAA approval makes Guardian Agriculture the first commercially authorized eVTOL in the U.S., allowing Guardian Agriculture to safely operate its systems across the country, and positioning it as a leader in the eVTOL space and the first to address the fast-growing agricultural use case.
Commercial farmers are rapidly moving away from ground spraying equipment in favor of unmanned autonomous systems; however, the majority of systems available today are too small to provide growers with full-field coverage at a competitive price point. Guardian Agriculture is now the only U.S. company to offer a viable solution – with an eVTOL size that delivers the same comprehensive coverage as traditional aerial crop dusting and ground spraying equipment, at the same or lower costs, all with digital precision.
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“eVTOL powered crop protection is better for crops, better for the environment, and better for growers’ bottom line,” Guardian Agriculture Founder and CEO Adam Bercu said. “We designed our system to meet the needs of commercial agriculture. Solving this real-world pain point is the right first step for eVTOL adoption at large. FAA approval represents an important turning point for American leadership in this fast-growing market.”
The Guardian SC1 platform – which already has more than $100 million in customer orders – is the only autonomous, electric, aerial crop protection system designed specifically for large-scale agriculture. And unlike existing unmanned autonomous systems, Guardian designs and manufactures its system entirely within the U.S., supporting U.S. competitiveness, jobs, and ensuring national security.
“Aerial crop protection systems have operated the same way for decades,” Wilbur-Ellis Vice President of Supplier Relations Willie Negroni said. “With the recent approval from the FAA, Guardian Agriculture is uniquely positioned to change the face of farming for the better. For the first time, we now have a reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable solution in the form of the Guardian SC1. We are so confident in the technology and the Guardian team that we are not only a customer, but also an investor.”
SOURCE: PR Newswire