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AEROSPACE, UAV'S

Europe’s civil UAV Roadmap released

Head of Research at the Royal Aeronautical Society, Professor Keith Hayward provides analysis of the EC’s recently published Roadmap
for the integration of civil Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Systems into the 
European Aviation Systems. Can Europe unlock civilian skies for a
brand-new unmanned aerospace sector?

The Paris Air Show also saw European aerospace industry call for a joint MALE UAV project. (Cassidian).

The European Commission has just published a Roadmap 
for the integration of civil Remotely-Piloted Aircraft 
Systems into the European Aviation Systems,outlining
a staged approach to the integration of UAS platforms into
civilian airspace. The paper asserts that this will “bring
aviation into the realm of the third industrial revolution”. The
aim is ultimately to replace the current highly restricted
case-by-case approval for UAS operations with a
“seamless regulatory framework”, fusing the various
R&D initiatives underway in Europe. The process will be 
“gradual and evolutionary” matching regulatory relaxation 
to developments in technology and societal acceptance. 
While the main focus of the Roadmap is vehicles weighing 
less than 150kg (seen as the primary platform for civil 
applications), the proposals would also go a long way 
towards resolving the problems that have, for example s
tymied EuroHawk deployment in Europe.

The non-defence portion of the UAS market remains small
and specialised, and remains constrained by airspace
controls and other regulation issues. To date, a number of
police users and civil operators of “line of sight” vehicles
excepted, military customers have been the primary market
for UAS products. Compared to a conventional platform,
UAS use cannot yet compete on a single mission basis –
a fixed wing platform can cover a much greater area – but
for frequent missions the cost differential is much less and
trends are moving in the direction of the UAS option.

The most likely civil markets for UAS platforms will echo
those of the military – “dirty, dull and/or dangerous” –
police surveillance, fire mapping, border security, real
estatephotography, and coverage of natural disasters. 
Satisfyingthis new customer base may well require a 
radically different approach to the conventional aerospace 
market. For example while surveying will be a 
particularly important market, especially in large or 
remote areas, customers may alsodemand a range of 
new, integrated services. As in the space sector, increasing platform availability and capabilitywill generate a new wave  
of “downstream” applications where the platform 
hardware comprises a relatively small element in the total 
value chain.

Expansion into civil markets will therefore depend on
including UAS in the regulatory environment, and the speed
of adaptation and adoption may well determine the winners
and losers in the civil UAS market. The US FAA is already
moving to create guidelines and standards for UAS use. A
general rule on the integration of small UAS into the national airspace is expected by the summer of 2014 and to complete
their safe integration by 2016.

The EU Road Map is an important step forward in the
development of a European UAS industry, but in order fully
to exploit the emerging civil market, the region will have to
sort out its approach generally to UAS activity. The continuing failure to harmonise competing national UAS programmes
will hinder the emergence of a vital common core of
technological solutions that will be needed to enable civil
UAS operations in controlled airspace.

In September, the Royal Aeronautical Society will be 
examining this topic in detail with the UAS Annual 
Conference – Unmanned Aviation: Challenges for 
Growth.  For more details on this headline conference click here.