State of European UAS Integration, March 2016

Continental

COVERAGE

In Europe, Ideas for Commercializing UAS Come in All Shapes, Sizes and Sectors

By Andrew White

The global commercial UAS market

is estimated to reach more than $2 billion in value by 2022 with agriculture, energy, government, media and entertainment, among other sectors, all expected to increase the utility of unmanned systems.

The greatest utility of unmanned platforms in the commercial sector, according to Grand View Research, will be witnessed in government-related areas

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(approximately 50 percent of the market), agriculture (30 percent), energy (10 percent), media and entertainment (1 percent).

According to Grand View Research’s “Commercial UAS Market Report,” published in November 2015, the commercial UAS market will see “… increasing applications in agriculture and law enforcement, which are expected to drive commercial UAV industry growth over the forecast period. Commercial drones are finding

The Zephyr could provide communications over an area up to 400 miles away.

Photo: Airbus Group.

applications across various industry verticals globally.”

Such popular trends continue to be witnessed in Europe, although as a market in defense and security as well as commercial sectors, the region continues to play catch-up with more mature players in North America and Israel.

According to the European Union Committee on the Civilian Use of Drones in the EU, the industry

continues to see “many examples of innovative applications for the civilian use of RPAS [remotely piloted aerial systems], which could enhance existing services and industries.”

Focusing on retail, fast food, advertising and logistics, the committee’s latest annual report highlighted strategies by the likes of Amazon and the British Airline Pilots Association, the latter of which suggested that UAS could be used to suspend lightweight advertising MARCH 2016 | UNMANNED SYSTEMS

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The Airlander could work as a mother ship for other delivery drones.

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On Sept. 28, the British government rejected a funding request from the Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment (ASTRAEA) program for further development into technology and regulations required to integrate unmanned aircraft into national airspace across Europe.

Sources within BAE Systems, a member of the project consortium, which also includes Airbus Defence & Space, Cobham, Qinetiq, Rolls-Royce and Thales, explained to Unmanned Systems, “Unmanned aircraft are likely to play a significant role in the future of both commercial and military aerospace, although the scale of this future market is yet to be fully understood.

“The U.K. is widely recognized for its world-leading aerospace sector, and it is important that it works to ensure that the appropriate regulations and operating procedures 30 |

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around this new type of aircraft are established. Although this funding application has been unsuccessful, the ASTRAEA consortium is committed to the progression of this important work and is in discussion with the U.K. government to understand other funding options.”

The latest tranche of research, dubbed Phase 3B, had been planning to conduct further flight testing of relevant technologies, including critical collision avoidance systems, demanded for the integration of UAS into national airspace. However, it is now understood that the British government will seek to award funding to its cross-party UAS working group.

“It is understood that the government is now more interested in a broader industrial base, to also include small- and mediumsized enterprises,” an ASTRAEA spokesperson says. “It is unclear what the involved companies will now do or whether they will continue the program without the financial support from the government, which had previously provided half of the program funding.”

Previously, Phase 3A had successfully completed an 18-month effort focused on advancing the regulatory work from earlier phases as well as refining of the virtual certification process with the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority.

“It has contributed to the safety standards with the European aviation standards organization, EUROCAE, and supported implementation of the European roadmap for the introduction of unmanned aircraft with EASA [European Aviation Safety Agency] as well as contributing to the International Civil Aviation Organization global Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Symposium in Montreal,” the spokesperson says.

Photo: HAV.

screens across the continent.

Additionally, the committee reported the findings of industry and academic experts, including director of aerial robotics at Imperial College London Mirko Kovac, who suggested UAS could soon be used for building repairs and construction, while other uses included polar research.

“The commission believes that the RPAS market has the potential to make companies in all sectors more competitive,” the committee asserted.

However, any widespread proliferation of UAS across the continent will very much depend on their integration into national and international airspace, with many efforts struggling to progress on this particular front.

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“The U.S. and Europe have declared timescales for amending the regulatory frameworks for civil aircraft to include unmanned aircraft, which will unlock a significant new aerospace market, both for vehicles and services in the next decade. ASTRAEA has been a world-leading program addressing the technologies and safety standards that will be required to introduce civil unmanned aircraft into U.K. airspace and has identified a number of significant spill-over benefits into manned aviation.�

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Finally, sources likened the process of developing a concept of operations for airspace integration to the development of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems for manned aircraft, adding that a certified detect-andavoid system for UAS might not be available until 2023. uuu

As Europe pushes ahead with the integration of UAS into national

airspaces, governments and industry continue to press forward with a series of major programs, many of which represent multinational collaborations designed to reduce costs.

European partners continue to consider future utility for rotarywing UAS in commercial roles, although ongoing joint military programs featuring the U.K., Italy and Poland remain focused on defense and security applications.

However, Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland, which in September

An occupant in the Airlander could provide line of sight for other drones it would carry.

Photo: HAV.

completed a two-year Capability Concept Demonstrator program with the U.K. Ministry of Defence for the Rotary Wing UAS (RWUAS) program, believes there is significant potential for such platforms in the commercial market.

The CCD focused on future potential for operation of a RWUAS with the U.K. Royal Navy in 2020 and beyond, based on the PZLSwidnik SW-4 RUAS Solo optionally piloted vehicle. Speaking to Unmanned Systems, officials from

AgustaWestland confirmed that the program was being considered to execute intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as cargo resupply tasks.

However, the technology also has significant potential in the commercial sector, including operation as part of a wider humanitarian aid or disaster relief mission, hydrographic surveying and communications relaying.

Currently achieving technology readiness level seven, a test program conducted at Llanbedr Airfield in

Wales in 2015 was deemed a “tremendous success” by Agusta Westland officials, with the company now considering additional flight line utility for the RWUAS. “We are now looking at airspace openings to allow access across the U.K.’s airspace,” an AgustaWestland spokesperson explained.

“We don’t want to develop a solution for a single customer. Instead, we are focused on developing a product which can fulfill a number of requirements for multiple customers,” a company MARCH 2016 | UNMANNED SYSTEMS

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as maritime radars. However, the company is seeking to extend its utility yet further by designing a next-generation system which will be capable of carrying a 40-kilogram payload. Designated the Z350, this latest Zephyr variant will have a 35foot wingspan.

Elsewhere, HAV continues to develop its Airlander platform with a view to deploying it as a mother ship for smaller package delivery UAS being considered by companies including Amazon.

AgustaWestland believes SW-4 RUAS Solo could be used in the commercial sector for operations like humanitarian aid or communications relay.

spokesperson said before highlighting emerging opportunities for border security operations in the Middle East and North Africa especially. uuu

demonstrating significant weight savings of up to 40 percent in comparison to legacy Zephyr 7 aircraft. This has enabled the Zephyr 8 aircraft to remain airborne for up to three months at any one time, compared to a 14-day flight time for the Zephyr 7.

Speaking to Unmanned Systems, Airbus Defence and Space’s head of business development in the U.K., Steve Whitby, described how the company was currently designing a next-generation model of the Zephyr air platform, following on from the development of the Zephyr 7 and 8 models.

With an operating altitude of around 72,000 feet, Zephyr 8 has been designed to carry a five-kilogram payload, which could be used to house a variety of sensors. To date, the aircraft has only demonstrated an ability to conduct communications relay with tests proving a capability to provide communications over an area of interest beyond 400 miles. Such a concept could be used for disaster relief operations in Africa, for example, with company sources suggesting to Unmanned Systems that the aircraft is also being considered for agricultural monitoring duties in North America.

At the end of 2015, the company revealed that the first of three Zephyr 8 platforms had been constructed,

Additional payload options include infrared cameras capable of piercing through fog and cloud as well

Europe is also taking a lead in regards to the development of high-altitude, long-endurance platforms such as Airbus Defence and Space’s Zephyr high-altitude pseudo satellite and Hybrid Air Vehicles’ Airlander lighterthan-air system.

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“It’s quite interesting, but what we think is more interesting is whether Airlander could be the airborne aircraft carrier mother ship for these small aircraft,” says Chris Daniels, HAV’s head of partnerships and communications. “When Amazon announced their idea for drone delivery of small packages direct to your front door, most people viewed it merely as a publicity stunt. But as they continue to develop, it looks like it may happen one day. The two biggest issues are the range of these small drones — 15 miles, which is 7.5 miles to get to and from somewhere — and the regulatory aspects of drones.

“In the U.K., there is a requirement to have line of sight on any unmanned aircraft, amongst many other restrictions. So we at [HAV] are thinking we could solve these problems quite neatly for Amazon.

We could increase range by putting the drones onboard the Airlander, and then they just do short trips to and from the Airlander mother ship and could refuel or recharge on board too.” uuu

In line with international market trends, the European commercial UAS market continues to feed off more

Photos: Finmeccanica, BAE Systems.

advanced defense and security programs, and this will remain the case moving forward. Particular programs of note include the pan-European MALE 2020 and Neuron unmanned combat aerial vehicle concepts as well as the Anglo-French Future Combat Air System study, which is due to unveil its conclusions in 2016.

In the meantime, the greatest requirements for UAS technology in the commercial sector will continue to be demanded by the media, energy markets and nonmilitary government services.  An ASTRAEA spokesperson says it’s possible the consortium companies could opt to fund the program on their own.

Shown here is the effort’s flying test bed.

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