Integration concerns will keep domestic drones on the tarmac
- By Patrick Marshall
- Dec 18, 2013
Even though unmanned aerial systems are already hauling cargo, spraying crops, monitoring pipeline integrity and, of course, targeting terrorists, the use of UAS in domestic U.S. airspace has been very limited.
The recently released Federal Aviation Administration’s 2013 UAS road map — “Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Roadmap” — promises significant steps toward that goal. At the same time, however, the document makes it clear that the expanded use of unmanned aircraft in the United States will take place very gradually.
In fact, the only step to be taken in 2014 that will be visible to the public will be the opening of six UAS test sites around the country. The congressionally mandated sites will conduct limited UAS operations and research into how best to safely integrate UAS systems into the national airspace, including what navigation and certification requirements are needed.
Behind the scenes, however, the road map calls for government and industry to pursue a series of steps toward developing technologies, standards, rule and policies. “Ultimately,” notes the report, “the pace of integration will be determined by the ability of industry, the user community, and the FAA to overcome technical, regulatory, and operational challenges.”
The challenges are daunting. Apart from the bureaucratic steps of developing standards and procedures, the report notes that there are still significant technological and operational hurdles to be overcome.
Specifically, the report points to two areas requiring technological advances: sense-and-avoid systems and communications.
While some sense-and-avoid systems — which are designed to ensure automatic collision avoidance — are nearly ready for deployment, the FAA indicates that it is still researching standards and minimum performance requirements for such systems.
