InSitu has offered to help BP keep an eye on the spread of oil and the ongoing clean-up process in the Gulf of Mexico.

Boeing/InSitu executives let slip at the show that they have submitted an unsolicited proposal to BP offering the ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle for maritime monitoring. They have not yet received a response, said Steve Nordlund, Boeing's director of business development for the wholly owned subsidiary. The BP situation is "very dynamic," Nordlund said. "We stand ready."

ScanEagle already operates off oil and gas platforms in the Persian Gulf, with a catapult launcher and recovery system that eliminates the need for a runway. The company could do the same in the Gulf of Mexico under a fee-for-service agreement similar to current arrangements with the US, Canadian and other militaries, Nordlund said.

Source: Flight Daily News