UAVs

^{By Peter La Franchi in London}

Eurocontrol is proposing that military unmanned air vehicle (UAV) flights in European non-segregated airspace remain under the authority of a pilot as the primary mode of operation, with fully autonomous flight reserved for safety mode in the event of datalink loss.

The UAV pilot would also have primary responsibility for separation provision and collision avoidance in uncontrolled airspace, under the air traffic control organisation’s plans.

The proposals are contained in a draft specification for military UAV operations in non-segregated airspace that is being circulated by Eurocontrol among national ATC authorities. It stresses “there is a pressing need to migrate military UAVs outside the confines of segregated airspace”. Military UAVs should “follow ICAO international standards and recommended practices for manned aircraft with regard to air traffic management wherever practicable”, says Eurocontrol.

The draft calls for military UAVs to be fitted with a two-tier sense-and-avoid capability that primarily operates on a predictive basis.