Furthermore, UAS play a crucial role in military conflicts and intelligence-gathering missions, having been used extensively in dual-used type of applications. As a result, UAS are considered a great example of dual-use technology and capability, being recognized as key elements in military and civil missions.
UAS in Numbers
Ongoing Projects (with Public Disclosure)
- Remote Pilot Station (RPS) Standardisation II – Project page
- Risk Assessment MIL-UAS-SPECIFIC: Air and Ground Risk Assessment Methodology for Non-certified Military UAS – Project page
- U-Space Study – Project page
Completed Projects
RPAS Accommodation Validation Study – Project Page
As a follow-up to the initial Accommodation studies in 2017 and 2019-2021, the 2023 project aims at Flight Test Validation of several RPAS Accommodation scenarios, including those developed in the EDA-EASA guidelines, for MALE-type operations in non-segregated airspace. More information on the dedicated RPAS Accommodation Validation webpage.
Safe Autonomous Flight Termination (SAFE-Term) - Project Page
The Safe Autonomous Flight Termination project will assess, develop and validate a proof of concept of autonomous functionality to ensure a predictable yet adaptative Remotely Piloted Aircraft behaviour in case of emergency involving multiple failures, including C2 datalink loss leading to a Flight Termination. The project will also assess the regulatory and certification issues as well as the standardisation needs and it will support the standardisation activities in this area in a relevant standardisation body. This R&D project directly stems from the consultation within the Industry Exchange Platform on RPAS ATI.
In addition to the three main workstrands related to RPAS ATI (coordination, regulatory and R&D), EDA also liaises with other organisations concerning other activities. This includes: support to OCCAR-EA with regards to the European MALE RPAS ATI Expert Group; liaison with EUROCAE, in particular on Working Group 105 which is dedicated to RPAS technology standardization; observer’s role and exchange of expertise within JARUS (Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems), an expert group from the National Aviation Authorities and regional aviation safety organizations.
MID air Collision Avoidance System Standardisation Support Phase (MIDCAS SSP)
The aim of the MIDCAS programme was to provide the technical content of a collision avoidance system standard proposal for RPAS and thus to contribute to the RPAS integration in civilian airspace by proposing a baseline of solutions for the “Unmanned Aircraft System Mid-air Collision Avoidance Function” acceptable by manned aviation. The original MIDCAS project started in September 2009 and was completed in 2015. MIDCAS SSP was its continuation with a focus on supporting and progressing standardization, mainly in EUROCAE. MIDCAS SSP has generated substantial progress: the experience and knowledge gained by the people involved in MIDCAS is a unique resource available for continued European efforts in this field.
DeSIRE2: Demonstration of Satellites enabling the Insertion of RPAS in Europe
EDA and the European Space Agency (ESA) established their cooperation in the RPAS sector in 2010 and launched the joint DeSIRE project in 2012, with the aim of to demonstrate the safe integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace using satellites capabilities for RPAS command and control, air traffic control communications and mission data transfer to ground. A follow-on project with ESA, DeSIRE2, was launched in 2014 and aimed at developing and demonstrating services based on a Remotely Piloted Aircraft flying in Beyond Radio Line of Sight (BRLOS). The project concluded at the beginning of 2019 and its scope was reduced due to the mishap of the RPAS intended to be used for the flight tests. Nevertheless, the project did produce interesting results: its main outcomes are related to the characterization of SatCom channels (Ka and L band) in terms of latency, continuity, integrity and availability. DeSIRE2 is also the basis for an ongoing activity, the CRUISE project funded by ESA to deliver a cybersecurity test range for RPAS.
Remote Pilot Station (RPS) Standardisation
The project’s main objective was to support Standardisation I of the Remote Pilot Station to be used in EASA's certified operations category, with a focus on certification and Air Traffic Integration requirements. The project concluded at the beginning of 2019 with the delivery of the Safety and Performance Requirements Document for Remote Pilot Stations Supporting IFR Operations in Controlled Airspace to EUROCAE for internal review. The consortium is still active at EUROCAE even after the project’s closure and is leading the production of the main formal standardization document in the working group: the MASPS (Minimum Aviation System Performance Specification) which will be issued for open consultation at EUROCAE.
Enhanced RPAS Automation (ERA)
RPAS automation is a key enabler for the integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace, particularly to ensure the operation safety levels in degraded or emergency modes. Automation in RPAS take-off, landing, and taxi phases will be required for airport operation, both civil and military. The main objectives of ERA are to establish the technological baseline for automatic take-off and landing, autotaxi, nominal/degraded mode automation functions and emergency recovery. This will be done alongside support to the regulation and standardisation of these capabilities, by providing safety assessments, procedures, simulation and flight demonstrations.