ScanEagle's Softer Side

Insitu (a subsidiary of Boeing) has a true hit on its hands with the ScanEagle, which is popular among a slew of world militaries. The 5-ft drone is launched from a catapult mounted on land or on ships, and can be recovered by flying into a SkyHook aerial catch system that makes runways passé. These can be great tools for extending the awareness on battlefields, especially given their 24-hour flight time, but why not use these proven drones for more peaceful uses?

That's been on Boeing's mind for some time, and it has spent the last three years surveying Shell's oil pipelines in Australia to prove ScanEagle's civilian worth. Meanwhile, the Scan Eagle became one of the first UAVs to get OKed by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly in U.S. airspace for commercial purposes. With these milestones complete, it's time to sell the product. The company is on the scene in Paris on an international marketing mission to make these military favorites even more common over oilfields, scientific expeditions and civilian cargo ships.