Europe is advancing the integration of large drones into its airspace, a necessary step towards uncrewed aviation at scale. Launched at the EUROCONTROL headquarters in Brussels on the 1st of September, the SESAR IRINA2 project brings together leading European public and private aviation organizations with a common goal to set the standard and protocols for the integration of remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) into European airspace.
Dronamics has been selected as part of this elite group of organizations, which includes EUROCONTROL, SAAB, Thales, Honeywell, BULATSA (full list below), as a leading developer and operator of large RPAS. Its flagship Black Swan platform is one of two European RPAS that will shape the project’s outcome. Live flights with the Black Swan will play a central role in setting the procedures for cross-border RPAS operations in Europe.
Addressing barriers to scaling uncrewed aviation in Europe
The central barrier to scaling uncrewed aviation in Europe is the fact that large remotely-piloted aircraft, such as Dronamics’ Black Swan, remain confined to segregated airspace because the air traffic management procedures and Detect and Avoid capabilities needed to fly them alongside crewed traffic are not yet mature enough for deployment. Dronamics’s role in the IRINA2 project will be key to addressing that and therefore, unlocking the next phase for regular and commercial operations with RPAS.
Building on the results of the IRINA project, IRINA2 will advance the coordinated conflict management concept that combines onboard Detect and Avoid systems with air traffic control procedures, targeting integration in controlled and uncontrolled airspace and will move these capabilities beyond TRL6 (technology readiness level) toward operational rollout.
Key areas of IRINA2 project’s work include the development of operational concepts and procedures, flight planning, cross-border RPAS operations and coordination between the civil and military aviation sectors. The project will examine the integration of RPAS both in airspace where Air Traffic Control (ATC) provides separation of traffic and in airspace where ATC does not provide such separation. The project built on the results of the first phase of IRINA, which explored the safe integration of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) RPAS into European airspace and ways to reduce the need for segregated airspace for these types of operations.
Shaping the development of European regulatory and standardization frameworks for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
Dronamics contributes the operational perspective of a commercial large RPAS platform, developing the operational concept and informing requirements for the integration of RPAS into controlled airspace. Live flights with the Black Swan, conducted jointly with The Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA), will enable different operational scenarios and interaction between RPAS and the Air Traffic Management system to be examined. Furthermore, the demonstrations will allow for assessment of the workload and performance of air traffic controllers when managing both manned and unmanned aircraft within the same operational environment.
Validation exercises will subsequently translate into further certification and standardization work that will feed key regulatory and standardization bodies whom aviation safety relies on – the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The SESAR IRINA2 project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe program.
Participants in SESAR IRINA2:
- EUROCONTROL – EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE SAFETY OF AIR NAVIGATION
- SAAB AKTIEBOLAG
- DRONAMICS
- ENAIRE
- CENTRO DE REFERENCIA INVESTIGACION DESARROLLO E INNOVACION ATM, A.I.E.
- INGENIERIA Y ECONOMIA DEL TRANSPORTE SME MP SA
- DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT – UND RAUMFAHRT EV
- HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL SRO
- THALES
- LUFTFARTSVERKET
- OFFICE NATIONAL D’ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES
- SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE
- POLSKA AGENCJA ZEGLUGI POWIETRZNEJ
- C.I.R.A. CENTRO ITALIANO RICERCHE AEROSPAZIALI SCPA
- BULGARIAN AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES AUTHORITY – BULATSA
- DIRECTION DES SERVICES DE LA NAVIGATION AERIENNE
Related
Discover more from sUAS News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
