Airbus has launched its U.S. base and operations of a new commercial drone start-up, named Airbus Aerial, at the AUVSI Xponential tradeshow and conference in Dallas. With bases both in the U.S. and in Europe, Airbus Aerial’s initial business will focus on developing new imagery services.

The company says the services will use the best software and aerospace technology from across the globe to offer actionable data and analysis of information provided by drones, satellites, high altitude aircraft and other sources.

Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, says the new company will bring together partners from across the industry – ranging from vehicle manufacturers, data analytics companies, service providers and others – to enable data-focused services at large scale. He explains: “Using an integrated combination of assets, from UAS platforms to satellite imagery, Airbus Aerial is rolling out a wide range of new imagery services. In the future, additional pillars of the Airbus Aerial activities will be in the area of cargo drone services as well as providing connectivity via aerial assets.”

The U.S.-based part of Airbus Aerial will be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and is led by Jesse Kallman, a UAS industry expert with more than 12 years of experience including research at Georgia Tech, federal policy at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), commercial UAS at Airware, and advocacy with groups like AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International).

Airbus Aerial is targeting a range of applications for commercial industries, such as insurance, agriculture, oil and gas, and utilities, as well as state and local governments. The company says it is also looking for new partnerships to help bring these new services to market.