Company

Innovative UAV Solutions

Building the world’s safest drone.

ASW offers cutting-edge drone solutions for a wide range of industries and applications. Our drones are specifically designed for parcel delivery of large packages, carrying extra-large camera arrangements, multiple extra-large camera gimbals for cinematography purposes, surveying large areas, and conducting missions requiring high numbers of additional on-board peripherals with high power demands.

Building the world's safest drone

In July of 2021, Aero Systems West, Inc.
was acquired by Nippon Kayaku Company.Take advantage of our expertise backed by Nippon Kayaku, one of the most trusted names in safety systems innovation and manufacturing.

Our vision is a future where the usability, reliability, and safety of small unmanned aircraft allow them to become a value-added part of everyday operations.

Aero Systems West was founded in 2015 by a team of private flight school owners, collegiate aviation professors, human factors engineers, mechanical engineers, and unmanned systems engineers with UAS experience in both government and civilian sectors.

The team at ASW has extensive experience providing complex unmanned systems to civil and government customers. We can provide expert solutions to meet your requirements. Our services include full systems engineering support, OEM design, integration, payload design, software design, and custom builds.

Payloads ranging from precision agriculture sensors to counter-UAS and package delivery systems have been integrated with our aircraft. Common payloads can be integrated with an off-the-shelf payload tray. For unique payloads, our experienced team can design a bolt-on interface tailored to your mission. Our aircraft are designed to work with nearly any payload—whether it exists today or will be released years from now.

In July of 2021, Aero Systems West, Inc. was acquired by Nippon Kayaku Company.

This acquisition further advanced our commitment to enabling UAS flight safety. Nippon Kayaku Company has contributed to UAS safety through the development of high reliability fast deploying parachute safety devices. Through this acquisition, Nippon Kayaku Company and ASW have unified their visions and goals to deliver “Safety as a Standard.” With the support of Nippon Kayaku Company, ASW will work towards becoming the global leader in offering industrial grade drones with safety system integration as a standard feature. Our mission is to introduce a wide array of safety technologies for use over land and water to move the industry forward, taking our clients’ visions and turning them into their realities. “We are Safety”, protecting people, property, & payload is our priority

Vision

At Aero Systems West, our vision is to enable small unmanned aircraft to become a valuable part of everyday operations in existing and emerging industries through our commitment to innovative solutions that streamline operations, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and prioritize safety and reliability.

Mission

At Aero Systems West, our mission is to develop and provide the most reliable and safe unmanned aerial systems in the market, empowering businesses to leverage the benefits of UAV technology and achieve operational efficiency while maintaining the highest level of safety standards.

Meet our team

Teamwork makes the dream work

Alex Orozco

Chief Executive Officer

Alex, with over 30 years of experience working in the Automotive and Aerospace industries, in engineering, manufacturing and business development disciplines. Has worked for Nippon Kayaku Company for the last 23 years serving as the Vice President of Nippon Kayaku America. As the CEO of Aero Systems West, Alex brings his passion for technology and innovation to move Aero Systems West forward in UAS industry. Alex is actively involved in ASTM F38 (UAS) as a Sub-committee Chair, leading a global team to create new standards for UAS Manufacturers Production Approval along with supporting roles in other ASTM F38 committees. Under his leadership, Aero Systems West is committed to delivering cutting-edge UAS solutions and partnering with industry and government to continue driving UAS innovations forward.

Charles Neal

Chief Operating Officer

Charles is an experienced leader in rapid acquisition and advanced navigation algorithms for sUAS, having led teams for emerging sUAS technologies at the US Air Force Research Laboratories and conducted sponsored research at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and holds multiple unmanned flight certifications with a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the US Air Force Academy and an M.S. in Unmanned Systems Design from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Daniel Neal

Chief Technical Officer

With a diverse background in aeronautical and defense industries, Daniel brings extensive technical experience to ASW, having worked in roles such as Advanced Propulsion Systems Engineer at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Flight Commander of the Anthropometry Laboratory at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing, conducting physical accommodation assessments, rapid prototyping, and 3D scanning and reverse engineering.

Shelby Swartz

Lead sUAS Technician

Shelby is ASW’s lead sUAS technician and is in charge of all shop operations from conception to final build for each aircraft. Her dedication and enthusiasm to aviation is what led her to gain her private pilot certificate, obtain her Part 107 certificate, and graduate from SJSU’s Aviation program. Her drive to continue furthering her flight experience, ratings, and endorsements is the same drive that allows her to lead a state-of-the-art sUAS production facility at our headquarters in San Martin, CA.

Trevor Katzakian

Lead of Flight Operations

Trevor is ASW’s sUAS lead test pilot with expertise in sUAS technology and a passion for aviation. As a private pilot, a commercial drone pilot with years of flight experience, and a graduate of the SJSU Aviation program, his emphasis on safety during all types of flight ensures that all ASW sUAS systems are expertly crafted and thoroughly tested before they reach customers.