Dedrone has today announced an expanded partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Section 383 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which provides for testing of counter-drone detection, tracking, identification and mitigation technologies to develop clearer regulations around the use of these technologies at airports. Dedrone was part of the first round of technologies selected for testing at Atlantic City International Airport and has now been invited to expand to a second airport (to be named at a later date) as part of the ongoing research being conducted by the FAA to make airports safer from disruptions caused by drones.
“The threat of drone disruptions to airports and other critical infrastructure is persistent and escalating. We are honored to continue our work with the FAA to make airports safer for passengers, crew and airport staff by incorporating counterdrone technology into existing airport security apparatuses,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone. “We look forward to further supporting the FAA at this additional airport after successful implementation at Atlantic City International Airport.”
According to the company, DedroneTracker, a sensor-fusion platform providing drone detection, tracking, identification (DTI) and mitigation via sophisticated AI capabilities on the market, is currently being used at both airports. “By taking inputs from multiple sensors including radio frequency (RF), radar, camera and acoustics, DedroneTracker confirms drone presence and determines the precise location of drone,” said the company. “Based on real-time drone behaviour, imagery, known flight modelling and other inputs, the AI engine offers the operator a prioritized queue of targets through autonomous background interrogation while simultaneously tracking multiple friendly drones.
“Dedrone has also been selected to work with the FAA on bringing safe mitigation technologies to airports, including the recently released DedroneDefender precision jammer. DedroneDefender comes equipped with narrow-band jamming to minimize disruption to other devices and meets military standard MIL-STD-810H. This use of narrow-band or “comb” jamming reduces the risk of interference with other systems in the area like Wi-Fi or radar.
“The FAA testing is by invitation only and began in February 2022. It will continue through September 30, 2023 at a total of five airports around the country including Rickenbacker International Airport, Columbus, Ohio; Huntsville International Airport, Huntsville, Alabama; Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Syracuse, New York; and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington, in addition to Atlantic City. The FAA will use the results of the testing in its development of a plan for the certification and authorization of counterdrone detection and mitigation systems in the National Airspace System (NAS) including at airports around the country.
“This work with the FAA constitutes a further expansion of Dedrone’s service to the 30 US federal entities that Dedrone already counts as customers. In fact, Dedrone’s technology is implemented across 40 countries, and used by four of the G-7 nation governments; more than 100 critical infrastructure sites; 30+ airports; 50+ stadiums and 20+ non-US governments. Most recently, Dedrone acquired Aerial Armor to further cement its leadership in the counterdrone industry. The combined company actively provides counterdrone solutions for some of the most high-profile events around the world and works closely with over 70 public safety agencies.”
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has developed a policy concept to develop how RPAS can be accommodated within airspace. A policy concept allows us to develop, assess, validate and refine a policy idea before it becomes formalised.
The concept is part of the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS) which presents the roadmap for the development and modernisation of UK airspace until 2040. The CAA Innovation team is also running a sandbox trial for organisations or consortia to help develop and test the policy concept..
The policy concept applies to UK airspace and high seas airspace which lies within the London and Scottish flight information regions (FIR) and upper information regions (UIR). RPAS using the concept must be operating in the specific or certified categories.
This airspace policy concept sets out the use of Temporary Reserved Areas (TRA) of airspace, in conjunction with appropriate procedures and/or technology, to enable the managed integration of BVLOS RPAS flying with other airspace users.
The TRA is a defined volume of airspace that is temporarily reserved for a particular use which can be activated as and when required. It uses the classification of the airspace it is in but may also have additional requirements applied to enable the safe trialling or operation of aircraft within it. The TRA is managed by an air navigation service provider (ANSP) using an agreed ruleset when the TRA is active. It can also have a transponder mandatory zone (TMZ) or radio mandatory zone (RMZ) if required.
The establishment and dis-establishment of a danger area (DA), temporary segregated area (TSA) and/or a temporary reserved area (TRA), and any associated airspace overlays (e.g. a TMZ), still requires an airspace change. Change sponsors must consider the guidance contained within CAP 1616 Airspace Change.
In terms of determining a path through the accommodation phase towards integration, detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems (ground-based, air-based or a combination of both) are likely to be a critical enabling technology. At this stage, electronic conspicuity is considered very likely to be an essential enabler for DAA and is therefore likely to be essential for operations within TRAs that are established for the purpose of integrating BVLOS operations.
Once it can be demonstrated that the developments are sufficiently mature and there is data available to support safety arguments, that will start to signal the closure of the accommodation phase. We will then start to see RPAS integrated within standard classifications of UK airspace, permitting them to operate BVLOS without the need for additional requirements to be placed upon them to address their specific operating characteristics.
SESAR SAFIR-Med project has concluded 28 months’ research, including BVLOS demonstration flights above populated area, and activation of the article 13 transferring operational authorisations obtained in the operator country to other EU member states.
Research results are summarised in the project’s eight newsletter, available here.
The project addressed Safe and Flexible Integration of Advanced U-Space Services Focusing on Medical Air Mobility (SAFIR-Med).
Among recent demonstrations, the project successfully concluded the integration of multiple simultaneous uncrewed aircraft missions during demonstrations in Antwerp, Belgium, and the MAHHL region (German, Dutch, Belgian cross border region around the cities of Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen, Liège). The project, backed by SESAR Joint Undertaking and EASA, sought to showcase U-Space, a set of services aimed at enabling seamless integration of automated uncrewed aircraft missions, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) backed by a European legal framework.
To project consortium decided to use new European drone law as soon as it was implemented end of December 2020 and immediately started the authorization request process. With demonstration flights scheduled throughout 2022, the project team worked tirelessly to secure necessary permissions from regulatory bodies in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
SAFIR-MED carried out a two-pronged approach to de-risking, focusing on both operational and U-Space aspects. This involved extensive training, hardware-in-the-loop flights, and practicing simultaneous control of multiple drones. In March 2022, full hardware-in-the-loop operational de-risking flights were carried-out at DronePort, Belgium to test the coordination of multiple uncrewed aircraft in the air simultaneously.
SAFIR-MED highlighted the importance of minimizing human involvement, automating flight authorization processes, and reducing the learning curve for crews. As the project showcased, seamless integration and collaboration between manned and unmanned aviation is key to the future development of the drone sector.
The project exposed the need for further development of U-Space regulations, standards, and interoperability. The successful exchange of information between different U-space actors using the Helicus C2C system, the Unifly UTM system powering SkeyDrone and Droniq, Involi and Droniq live traffic, demonstrates the potential for a more integrated ecosystem.
Counter drone company OpenWorks has demonstrated it optical sensor SkyTrack is compatible with Robin Radar’s drone detection radar IRIS. Both technologies are already mission-proven in multi-sensor integrated counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) worldwide. This new integration is designed to help government authorities and other end-users access autonomous CUAS capability; without significant investment in multi-sensor system architectures, says OpenWorks.
A joint workshop hosted by the Outer Space Institute (OSI), McGill’s Institute of Air & Space Law (IASL), and the Association of the Advancement of Space (IAASS) focused on the casualty risks that re-entering space debris pose to the commercial aviation sector. The OSI agreed to the article published in Uniting Aviation sharing the outcome and recommendations following the event:
“There are more than seven thousand objects in low-earth orbit (LEO) that have large radar cross-sections consisting of abandoned rocket bodies, active and inactive satellites, and large debris fragments. Since 2019, these objects have roughly doubled, driven mainly by the launch of constellations comprising of hundreds or thousands of satellites. Globally, there are tens of thousands of additional satellites being licensed, with hundreds of thousands of further satellites being proposed. The vast majority of these satellites will be in LEO, meaning many will reenter Earth’s atmosphere in the years and decades ahead. The number of rocket launches needed to construct and maintain these space systems will also increase, and with them, rocket body reentries.
“Uncontrolled reentries of space objects pose risks to people on the ground, at sea, and in aircraft in flight, while also causing potential environmental and economic damage. The probability of impact on any single person, ship, or aircraft is small, but the risk should not be ignored.
“In his opening remarks during the February workshop, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar drew attention to ICAO’s engagement with the air traffic management community to mitigate space launch risks. The Separation and Airspace Safety Panel of ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission continues to explore options based on the work done by Chicago Convention signatory states, including the FAA’s Acceptable Level of Risk (ALR) concept.
“The Secretary General affirmed ICAO’s priorities: “The first in this area is to continue to identify and explain where there are clear mandates of the Chicago Convention relating to Space Transport. A second priority we’ve established is to acknowledge and plan our actions based on the clear understanding that this is a multi-sector problem, requiring a multi-sector solution.”
“ICAO’s 184 Member States participated in the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly last October, endorsing ICAO’s efforts to begin closely examining matters related to higher airspace operations, including space-bound vehicles as they traverse through the atmosphere.
“Juan Carlos Salazar also noted ICAO’s third priority, “to focus on promoting near-term action by outer space stakeholders to implement the already existing Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, and the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.” He advised participants that ICAO would be working with UN OOSA to ensure that their recommendations would be duly considered by the outer space-related segments of next year’s United Nations Summit of the Future.
“The potential casualty probabilities of some proposed satellite constellations are tens of a percent per replacement cycle. The aviation industry is particularly vulnerable to collisions with reentering space objects during flight. Due to their relative speed of impact, even small or light pieces of debris that may be harmless for people on the ground could fatally damage an aircraft in flight or otherwise necessitate emergency action by its crew.
“Fortunately, uncontrolled reentries of rocket bodies are no longer necessary in most circumstances due to technological developments and improved mission designs. Uncontrolled reentries of satellites are not yet generally avoidable; however, steps can be taken to reduce reentry risks.
“Although there are no verifiable reports of space objects striking aircraft, several aircraft have been damaged by collisions with unidentified objects at high altitudes. The risks are not confined to debris strikes. On at least one occasion, airspace was temporarily closed on account of an uncontrolled reentry of a rocket body. Airspace closures provide one example of how the economic risks from uncontrolled reentries are potentially larger than the physical risks, creating a further imperative for the following policy action:
Raising awareness of the growing problem of uncontrolled reentries of space objects;
Recognizing that uncontrolled reentries create casualty risks to people on the ground, at sea, and in aircraft in flight;
Understanding that aircraft are especially vulnerable to strikes with space objects;
Identifying that uncontrolled reentries of rocket bodies have become unnecessary in most circumstances, due to technological developments and improved mission designs;
Acknowledging that uncontrolled reentries of satellites are still not generally avoidable, but that steps can be taken to reduce the reentry risks from them;
Identifying that the consequences of uncontrolled debris reentries extend beyond personal injury or physical damage to include economic risks; and
Recognizing that avoiding uncontrolled reentries is one necessary step toward the sustainable and safe use of space.”
States should establish a new international body or build upon an existing one to provide a focus on the safety implications of uncontrolled reentries:
Actions by one actor can affect all actors.
The use of space by any single state has global implications, with risks potentially exported from launching states to other states.
The safety implications of uncontrolled reentries include risks on the ground, at sea, and to aircraft in flight.
As space use further develops, states should take coordinated steps to maintain a strong safety culture.
Part of this coordinated safety culture may require recognition of limits to the space-Earth system, such as carrying capacities and maximum tolerable reentry rates.
A strong safety culture will require recognition that both mass and satellite numbers will need to be considered in determining acceptable limits.
Global standards are required, consistent with applicable international legal instruments.
States should establish requirements to avoid uncontrolled reentries of space objects:
Uncontrolled reentries are generally unacceptable in today’s context.
Transition phases will be needed for new state entrants and legacy satellites.
Appropriate thresholds will be needed to exempt satellite operations that have been determined to pose low risk based on widely agreed standards.
There needs to be consideration for on-orbit failures that will result in some amount of uncontrolled reentries.
States should assess risk based on entire space systems, especially those involving many objects, instead of on the basis of individual constituent objects. A large satellite constellation is an example of a space system involving many objects.
Constellations should meet specific requirements that consider the aggregate risks associated with the number of satellites, satellite mass, satellite lifetime, and reentry cadence.
Transparency and validation should be required to facilitate enforcement.
States should promote the development of advanced reentry prediction capabilities for unavoidable uncontrolled reentries involving space objects that exceed determined risk thresholds:
The granting of licenses to large constellation operators has involved an implicit acceptance of increased uncontrolled reentries from satellites and rocket bodies.
Satellites with properties, such as mass, above certain thresholds may pose heavy burdens on society due to the potential for casualties, property damage, and economic losses to third parties.
Closures or effective closures of airspace constitute a burden on airlines, aviators, controllers, and passengers. Such closures also create new safety risks due to, for example, sudden increased stresses on air traffic control systems.
Increased uncontrolled reentries without better prediction capabilities will lead to further airspace closures or higher risks for airlines and passengers.
Satellites above certain thresholds should be required to have autonomous emergency tracking and/or transmitting capabilities to aid in prediction efforts during the initial stages of atmospheric reentry. Such capabilities should avoid interference with other uses or exploration of space.
Prediction, verification, and warnings
States should develop standards for issuing and responding to precautionary safety warnings related to uncontrolled reentries or related space activities:
The standards should build upon existing standards, such as the aviation coordination regime.
The standards should enable rapid decision-making and achieve consistent results.
The standards should accommodate conditions of rapidly evolving uncertainty of the uncontrolled reentry footprint location close to reentry time.
The standards should seek to maintain operational safety, keeping in mind that inaction could be the safest course.
Cooperation, especially among neighbouring states, in any reentry situation will be facilitated by common risk criteria, use of accepted information sources, and clear identification of the responsible state authorities.
States should require independent validation of predictions of breakup and demise of reentering space objects
Between 10% and 40% of the mass of large reentering space objects has historically survived reentry.
The potential casualty probabilities of some proposed satellite constellations are tens of a percent per replacement cycle.
Recognizing the heightened risk, some companies have proposed to develop fully demisable satellites.
As part of the licensing process, claims of full demisability of fragments must be verified independently through design review, inspection, simulation, and as practicable, through constrained destruction or other tests.
An independent body will be needed to respect and safeguard proprietary information.
Liability and economic injury
States should review the scope of “damage” under international liability instruments, including as it pertains to economic injury:
Given the substantial growth of aviation and space activities, including future growth, liability rules must be continually reviewed.
Damage from space activities to aviation, marine, and related activities should be part of this review.
There should be further consideration of risks to people and property on the ground, as well as environmental and economic damage.
Discussions could take place within and outside existing fora and should be open to all stakeholders.
Discussions should consider material injury to the economic interests of third parties.
Although the damage to a single aircraft or other asset is a discrete incident, injury includes any wider economic consequences, such as the temporary grounding of aircraft.
States should consider enabling recovery or compensation for economic injury from uncontrolled reentries or related space activities that necessitate precautionary safety warnings:
There are economic consequences that arise from issuing precautionary safety warnings, which may include disruption of Earth activities, such as aviation.
An example of a precautionary safety warning that may give rise to economic injury to aviation operators is an airspace closure in anticipation of an uncontrolled reentry.
To assist in determining whether a space actor has caused economic injury, thresholds should be established for states issuing a precautionary safety warning.
States should develop mechanisms that determine whether a space operator whose activities necessitate precautionary safety warnings should be held responsible for any associated economic injury.
There are various methods for ensuring partial or full recovery or compensation arising from injuries due to the issuance of precautionary safety warnings. These may include liability, government compensation, insurance, surety bonds, and compensation funds that are supported by contributions from spacecraft manufacturers, launch providers, satellite operators, and other space actors.
Regulations on compensation for economic injuries should not compromise on safety.
These recommendations are the result of discussions held during this workshop. The signatories to these recommendations are expressing their personal views only. Their contributions to these recommendations do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their institutional affiliation, whether a university, company, non-governmental organization, government (including departments, agencies and national militaries), or intergovernmental organization.
Unmanned systems developer UAVOS has created and integrated into its autonomous systems video processing and computer vision algorithms for automatic recognition and tracking objects. The technology is specifically geared towards the security industry with vision and recognition AI algorithms, autonomous labelling, and model training of a tracking algorithm which is based on a neural network, says the press release.
The AI algorithms work through training a tracking algoritym based on a neural network to learn the features of objects and their movements within a video sequence. The software has already successfully been integrated into Uavos’ pan-tilt platform for real-time long-range observation as well as advanced border protection, airports and other public facilities.
The system will use electro-optical (EO), light detection, and brain-inspired technologies to automatically recognize objects in environments from ground and aerial surveillance. Therefore, advanced computer vision algorithms integrated into Uavos. optoelectronic onboarding unit gyro-stabilized gimbal is used for both object detection and tracking to monitor the earth’s surface in the field of environmental protection, control of illegal logging activity, volcanic activity, etc.
MatrixSpace has launched its MatrixSpace Radar, “a highly differentiated series of AI sensing products addressing the need for affordable, long-distance sensing, tracking, monitoring and inspection solutions for use on the ground or in the air,” reports the company.
“It is the smallest, lightest and most portable high-performance radar available, opening opportunities for previously unaffordable or completely new applications. Digitizing the outdoors is the ability to measure the size, location, and movement of objects in time, shifting reliance from human sensing to a far more detailed recognition of objects and their movements.
“Current radar offerings are either basic solutions with limited range, or expensive military-grade offerings which are heavy, consume high amounts of power, require specialist skills to operate, and are difficult to set up. MatrixSpace Radar addresses this unserved middle area for large-scale use cases. These include semi-autonomous mobile platforms such as robots, drones, and eVTOLs; general aviation such as helicopters; and systems such as portable or fixed security systems, target tracking systems, and sports performance analysis.
“MatrixSpace’s mission is to offer real-time AI edge-based sensing with the ability to detect and track multiple types of objects in any situation. Combining industry leading sensing, AI edge processing and RF communication in real-time is a major technology breakthrough that will reinvent business models across multiple vertical market applications. The MatrixSpace Radar is the foundational product of this open architecture sensing platform.”
Key features include
Detects and tracks objects kilometers away in the air and on the ground.
Operates in all weather conditions, day and night, in smoke and fog.
Cell phone size, weighing under a pound.
Ultra-low power consumption, allowing for AC power or battery/solar panel operation for remote or mobile deployment.
Phased array technology for fast electronic scanning plus industry leading range, angular resolution and 3D fixing capability.
Software-defined radar with programmable waveform and signal processing.
On-board radar data processing and 4D tracking (size, position and time).
The Nordregio research consortium has identifies over 200 routes in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland in which electric aviation would shorten the travel time by at least 1.5 times, compared to the same route by car or public transport.
The “Accessibility study for electric aviation” is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, and runs from May 2022 until December 2024.
“A Norwegian fisherman Bjørn has just returned to Tromsø after his winter fishing in Andenes. It was supposed to take around 7 hours by car to bring the Atlantic cod home, but since the winter conditions were not the best, it took him much longer than expected. If there were an electric plane route connecting Andenes and Tromsø, the travel time and distance would shorten significantly (from nearly 500km to around 100km), and the environmental impact of such a trip would be reduced.
“The Nordic region shares many similar accessibility challenges for remote and rural regions. The geographical characteristics of some of these areas, such as large bodies of water, vast forest areas, long coastal lines, mountain ranges and fjords mean that they would experience a significant reduction in travel time using airplanes compared to other modes of transport, such as car, bus or train.
The study is based on looking at possible route lengths between 186 airports in the region. “A route has a significant travel time benefit if the travel time for both car and public transportation exceeded 1,5 times the travel time for electric aviation. I.e., if one of the existing transport modes is faster or up to 1,5 times the travel time for electric aviation, electric aviation does not have the potential to improve accessibility between the two destinations, according to our analysis.”
Several Indian media outlets have reported that India’s Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that the government is planning to set up helipads and drone landing facilities on some of the 600 Wayside Amenity locations it is planning for its national highways.
“Apart from basic facilities like good toilets, parking and restaurants; these wayside amenities will also have dormitories for truck drivers, electric vehicles charging, trauma centres, and among others, he said,” reported the LiveMint news source.
“Moreover, there will also be retail outlets for promoting handicrafts and locally-manufactured products, the minister said, adding some of the WSAs will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to deal with medical emergencies like road accidents and organ transplantation.”
Nearly 160 officials, experts, and industry representatives from 41 countries and international organizations, including EASA, EUROCONTROL, EUSPA and WFP, gathered in Rome from April 17 to 21, 2023, for the Joint Authorities on Rulemaking for UAS Systems (JARUS) Spring Plenary Meeting, which was hosted by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority.
This was the first in-person meeting since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
The five-day event focused on the progress of regulation for integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and Innovative Air Mobility/Advanced Air Mobility (IAM/AAM) into the airspace.
JARUS Chair Giovanni Di Antonio, ENAC Director of Innovation Technology, Vice Chair and Leader of WG Automation Concept of Operation Craig Bloch-Hansen from Transport Canada, Secretary General Prof. LIU Hao, Acting Chair of School of Global Governance, Beijing Institute of Technology (SGG BIT), Zia Meer Leader of WG Operation Organization & Personnel from SACAA, Markus Farner Leader of WG Airworthiness from FOCA, and Joerg Dittrich Leader of WG Safety Risk Management from DLR/LBA were present at the meeting.
During the opening Plenary on April 17, ENAC President Pierluigi Di Palma, ENAC Director General Alessio Quaranta, EUROCONTROL Director General Raul Medina, and Kazakhstan Aviation Administration Director Catalin Radu, provided a clear overview of the challenges of the UAS and IAM/AAM, highlighted how JARUS is at the heart of progress to safely integrate unmanned aviation and IAM/AAM into the airspace. Updates were provided by the JARUS working groups (WG) leaders.
Zia Meer presented the WG OPS ORG & PERS update. The WG had completed the Draft Approach to Performance-based Operation in Category B & C and is preparing for External Consultation of the document. Markus Farner reported progress on CS-UAS Annex C and B, the White Paper-FAA & EASA light UAS Certification Requirements Factual Comparison and the additional airworthiness requirements for HAPS/HAO. Joerg Dittrich presented the WG Safety and Risk Management update.
The JARUS SORA 2.5 document package received around 1400 comments during the External Consultation period, and comment resolution has started. PDRA 06, 08 and 10 documents have completed an Internal Consultation and comment resolution is progressing as well. Special attention was directed to the planning process for a future SORA 3.0 to follow the upcoming 2.5 release with a revised air risk section and annexes.
Craig Bloch-Hansen updated that the WG AUTO CONOPS had completed the comment disposition of External Consultation of the Autonomy Evaluation document, and the Automation of the Airspace document will go for JARUS Internal Consultation before this Summer.
The meeting also featured discussions on use cases for UAS and IAM/UAM, with the WG Auto ConOps reviewing Use Cases 1 and 2 over the coming months, and presenting them to the WG-SRM for the next steps.
On the last day of the JARUS Plenary, the JARUS Plenary Team (PT) unanimously approved the “White Paper-FAA & EASA light UAS Certification Requirements Factual Comparison” document for internal consultation, the “CS-UAS Annex B – Management of Multiple Simultaneous UA Flight Operation (MSO)” for external consultation, and the Publication of the document “JARUS Methodology for Evaluation of Automation for UAS Operations” as the first global experts’ deliverables on this subject.
The Plenary Team endorsed Giovanni Di Antonio to continue serving as the Chair until the upcoming election at the next Plenary Meeting in Ottawa. Julie Garland, the Vice Chair of the Industry Stakeholder Body (ISB) and CEO of Avtrain in Ireland, provided a comprehensive debrief of the meetings held with JARUS, both internally and with the JARUS Secretariat. Ms. Garland echoed JARUS’s interpretation of internal consultation and clarified the membership and ISB subject matter expert policy. The ISB reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to collaborating with JARUS and pledged to continue working closely with the unmanned aviation community and stakeholders.
The JARUS community expressed their gratitude to the School of Global Governance, BIT for their contribution to the JARUS new website. The four working group leaders provided an overview of their highly productive and collaborative teamwork during the week, including the joint working group meetings. With the ongoing recovery from the pandemic, it is anticipated that additional working group meetings will take place in the upcoming months.
On the final day of the plenary meeting, distinguished speakers presented on various UAS projects, covering a wide range of topics. These included updates on regulations, as well as projects focused on High Airspace Operation (HAO), Innovative Air Mobility/Advanced Air Mobility (IAM/AAM), and humanitarian operations. Christopher L. Swider, representing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), delivered an informative Integration Update. Swider discussed the latest developments in unmanned aviation, including regulatory and safety updates on the implementation of Remote Identification (RID) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), as well as Advanced Air Mobility Developments. Meanwhile, ZHAO Jinyu, representing the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), presented an update on China’s UAS regulation progress, Airworthiness Certification of UAS/AAM in China, and shared several successful Certification project practices. Jinyu also reflected on the past 10 years since the first issuance of the first UAS license and how the SORA method was employed to certify the first drone pilot operation in 2019, a practice that they learned from JARUS.
Filippo Tomasello presented the three-year project Flying Forward 2020, which is dedicated to creating a new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem aligned with the EU Digital Government Transformation (DGT). The project’s main goal is to integrate UAM into the geospatial data infrastructure of cities, which will include a governance model, an interoperable and scalable framework, machine-readable and executable regulatory requirements, geospatial digital infrastructure, and an Internet of Things scheme.
Marco Ducci addressed the Project SHEPHERD, which is a two-year project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program. The project’s goal is to establish a methodology for technical assessment of UAS-related standards and identify their technical suitability to demonstrate compliance with the diverse regulatory requirements. The project is still in progress and has assessed numerous unmanned aviation standards, using JARUS deliverables and European regulatory instruments as a basis for evaluation.
Jakub Karas from the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) presented how the EU Copernicus project, space data resources, and services may aid the safety assessment and enable unmanned aviation in Europe and beyond by supplying reliable population density data for the use the ground risk assessment as part of a SORA-based drone operation authorization processes.
Stephane Petitjean delivered a presentation on the European Operations of AirbusZephyr, highlighting the Zephyr Z8C System’s objectives and challenges for 2024, 2025, and 2026. He also discussed the approval process in collaboration with SESAR “ECHO 2” partners and the access to European airspace, including flight approvals for commercial flights.
Oleg Aleksandrov, representing the World Food Program, discussed the challenges faced in United Nations cargo UAS/RPAS humanitarian operations, emphasizing the absence of regulatory framework in the operation country/region, and the necessity for innovation in humanitarian cargo transportation safety management and regulatory compliance. JARUS and WFP have pledged to continue their discussions and investigate the possibility of assisting in the development of the United Nations’ Humanitarian Cargo UAS Ecosystem.
It was announced at the conclusion of the current Plenary that the upcoming JARUS Plenary will be held in Ottawa, Canada.
