UAV updateUAVs set to give U.K. defense a lift
The U.K. government is funding new research aimed at getting permission to fly drones anywhere in Britain, in a move which could benefit defense companies BAE Systems, EADS, and Thales but upset civil liberty concerns.
The use of UAVs for surveillance hit the headlines last week, after Merseyside police had to ground their drone when it was discovered they were using it without a license. A government-funded European group, however, is pushing ahead with work aimed at showing that UAVs can safely be used in civil airspace. Drones cannot be flown outside regulated areas at present because they are controlled remotely and do not have the ability to “see.”
The Telegraph’s Amy Wilson writes that the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) must be satisfied the aircraft has the same ability as a piloted plane to spot unexpected obstacles and take action to avoid them, before they will be let loose above Britain. The CAA also restricts the use of drones for surveillance because of concerns about invasion of privacy.
Thee need to ensure that UAVs can safely share air space with manned planes led the European Defense Agency to hire aerospace and defense group EADS to research how communication via satellites can be used “for the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into European airspace,” aiming to start demonstration missions next year.
Wilson writes that the study aims to show that satellites are reliable enough to allow uninterrupted communication between the drone and the person piloting it remotely, giving the aircraft an adequate “sense and avoid” capability to make it safe to fly in built-up areas and to share the sky with other planes.
UAV are of interest to the military and the police as surveillance tools, and could be used by immigration authorities for patrolling Britain’s coastline. They can also be used to send back aerial images to search and rescue services, and to help farmers survey the progress of crops.
Wilson notes that the European Defense Agency paid €400,000 (£360,000) to EADS’s defense arm and its Astrium satellite business to carry out the study. Astrium employs 3,000 people in Britain.
“The reliability and continuity of the telecommunications link is absolutely crucial,” said Eric Beranger, chief executive of Astrium’s services business. “The people piloting and monitoring the UAV need to be able to act as if they were the true pilot and the best way to do this is by satellite.”