Two leading UAS centres enter cooperative agreement to ease drone operations
Near Space Corporation (Tillamook UAS) and UAS Denmark Test Center enter cooperative agreement to allow their customers to easily transition their validation testing and demonstration flights between the EU and United States
Meeting a growing demand for unmanned systems developers and OEMs to facilitate validation testing, certification, and demonstration flights between the EU
and United States.
Two of the leading UAS test ranges have entered into a cooperative agreement to share
facilities and services with their mutual customers. The agreement between the
companies will offer customers the ability to operate under a single commercial contract
and currency for the duration of their testing at either location. Efficiencies in logistics and
flight planning will be achieved with the common connections and processes being shared
between flight operations teams on both continents. The goal is to give the customer an
efficient and high-quality path to certification and marketing of their new unmanned
systems
Both locations offer a dedicated UAS test range in a discrete location where critical testing
and demonstrations can be conducted in a safe and controlled environment. Both
organizations offer a full suite of services and experienced flight operations personnel that
can be utilized and customized to the needs of the aircraft developer, OEM, or operational
user. The teams’ respective expertise in the EU and United States, joined with
collaborative process and interoperability, offers those needing to test and operate on both
sides of the Atlantic with an efficient solution.
Kevin Tucker (President, Near Space Corporation) believes the two organizations share
common unique attributes: “Both UAS Denmark and our test range are managed by
professionals with decades of experience at operations of UAS in both military and
commercial aviation operations; expertise in complex operations; common safety
practices, and both are perfectly situated with geography to transition quickly from
terrestrial to marine operations, allowing customers to test their capabilities to land on
vessels at sea or conduct surveillance and security operations with their drones and
advanced sensors.”
UAS Denmark Head of Business Development, Michael Larsen, also sees the continuity
between the organizations helping customers fast-track their airframes to marketability:
“We see this as a fantastic opportunity for some of our European aircraft OEMs to have a
seamless process to migrate their testing and certification from the EU into North America
and under the purview of the FAA. We have extensive knowledge and experience
conducting Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations off the coast of Denmark —
with Near Space offering a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience safely operating drones from very high altitudes to validate emerging systems for the FAA and NASA. Customers will benefit by having a well-coordinated team on either side of the Atlantic to manage their flight testing as a turn-key solution, or as an ‘ala carte’ service and utilized on an as-needed basis.”
Whatever your platform, UAS Denmark Test Center and Tillamook UAS Test Range are
ready for the challenge to get your system qualified, certified, and to market faster.
About Near Space Corporation (operating Tillamook UAS Test Range)
Near Space Corporation has operated since 1996 as a commercial provider of high-altitude
(stratospheric) test platforms and flight services for government, academic and commercial
customers. Near Space manages the FAA Designated UAS Test Range located on the Oregon coast, enabling the company to coordinate closely with the FAA for mission planning and flights of balloons and UAS test and validation both overland and in the offshore maritime environment. It offers a unique combination of on-site engineering expertise and consulting, flight operations, and purpose-built facilities for UAS testing (including fully equipped hangar and tower located on a 5,000’ runway with no commercial air traffic). A large blimp hangar located on the field also offers a GPS denied environment and UAS hover testing in a controlled environment.
www.nsc.aero www.tillamookuas.com
About UAS Denmark
Hans Christian Andersen Airport, Odense Municipality, and University of Southern Denmark have joined forces in running UAS Denmark International Test Center (located in Hans Christian Andersen Airport) ensuring excellent conditions for growth in the UAS industry. Based in the middle of a European robotics industry hotspot and founded in 2013, UAS Denmark today offers access to 1.900 km2 of BVLOS airspace, business and research facilities. Furthermore, the ecosystem gives easy access to triple helix cooperation, including Danish defence, and ample funding opportunities.
