Vita Inclinata has secured a $45.6-million US Army contract to supply the Vita Rescue System (VRS), an autonomous stabilization system that gives aircrews direct control over rescue hoist motion during recovery operations.
The VRS is intended to reduce risk to personnel and equipment while reducing time over the target area, with operations up to four times faster than current tactics, according to the company.
The five-year contract, awarded by the US Army Utility Helicopter Program Office, covers system deliveries as well as sustainment and maintenance support across US Department of Defense organizations.
Initial deliveries will go to US Army Active-Duty and Army National Guard units.
Early fieldings follow the system’s approval under the US Army Airworthiness Release, granted after airworthiness testing and operational assessments.
The VRS “was built for one purpose: to bring people home safely. By enabling deployment across the Department of Defense, this contract ensures more lives will be saved in the most dangerous environments,” said Caleb Carr, CEO of Vita Inclinata.
Vita Rescue System
The VRS uses a magnetic drive to quickly stabilize rescue loads and maintain control throughout the hoist, including in strong airflow from helicopter rotors.
Onboard sensors and a thrust-vectoring system monitor movement and environmental conditions, processing up to 1,000 data points per second to maintain the load’s orientation.
Operators can manually rotate the load when required.
It can be operated remotely via a wireless control pendant with a range of up to 1,000 feet (300 meters), allowing stabilization and orientation without ground personnel.
Designed for use in urban, wooded, mountainous, and maritime environments, the VRS can withstand temporary submersion to a depth of 6.5 feet (2 meters) for up to 30 minutes during water or maritime rescue operations.
The system is battery-powered, with replaceable batteries to support extended missions.
