Draken - ARPAS UK

uAvionix, a leader in aviation surveillance solutions, announces the integration of its FlightLine surveillance services with Volant Autonomy’s advanced ITM (Integrated Traffic Management) system for ALIAS (Agile and Integrated Airspace System), a leading-edge UK Government $5M Future Flight Phase III project. The collaboration, showcased in the Channel Islands, is an important step forward in advancing the integration of unsegregated crewed and uncrewed operations into the UK airspace system and supporting Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations for Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). This exciting development highlights the capabilities of UAS for numerous airborne applications, particularly as the UK’s CAA begins to adopt SORA (Specific Operation Risk Assessment) as the roadmap to scalable BVLOS operations.

Following the successful completion of Project ALIAS in June 2024, Volant Autonomy has seen a surge in interest for their BVLOS enabling technology. uAvionix’s FlightLine system proved to be an invaluable asset in supporting the consortium’s demonstration flights. Anthony Lawrenson, COO of Volant Autonomy, emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating:

“As the ALIAS Project Lead, I was very impressed with the support provided by uAvionix and the quality of their FlightLine system. I am confident this initial collaboration will lead to much greater opportunities in the near future. We picked up some great data while testing our Flyte Autonomy and DAA (Detect & Avoid) systems including high quality data from the FlightLine system that supported safe and coordinated operations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft.”

The integration of uAvionix FlightLine API into Volant’s system was quick and seamless; it delivered timely and reliable Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) positional data which formed an important part of the ALIAS Traffic Information Service (TIS). The provision of acquiring and utilizing high assurance positional data in collaboration with primary and secondary radar feeds from Ports of Jersey ATC (Air Traffic Control) is a key enabler for Volant’s DAA solution, which adheres to the RTCA’s ACAS sXu (Aircraft Collision Avoidance System) standards.

As well as providing safe and dynamic separation of Draken’s Diamond DA-42 with UAVs operated by SkyLift and SkyPorts, the latest ALIAS trials, saw SkyLift uncrewed aircraft operating in and out of Jersey Airport, in the Channel Islands, showcasing the realistic potential for the provision of multiple airborne services safely operating within a live ATC environment.

David Cleaver, CEO of Volant Autonomy, stated, “The use of the uAvionix FlightLine surveillance service aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver state-of-the-art ITM solutions to the global aerospace industry. Our combined expertise and technology, particularly in the development of certifiable DAA solutions, provide a robust framework for the future of BVLOS operations.”

Paul Beard, founder and CTO of uAvionix, added, “The integration of high assurance data and the use of aviation-grade certifiable systems are crucial to enabling scalable BVLOS operations in Europe and the US. The ALIAS project has provided an excellent platform to demonstrate these capabilities, showcasing how such advancements can significantly enhance the safety and reliability of integrated airspace systems.

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About uAvionix:
uAvionix Corporation develops innovative aviation surveillance solutions to enhance airspace safety. Their products, including ADS-B transponders and receivers, are designed to meet the needs of both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
For more information about uAvionix and its aviation safety solutions, please visit https://uavionix.com/.
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Contact for media: [email protected]

About Volant Autonomy:
Volant Autonomy specializes in autonomous aviation technology, offering high assurance solutions for BVLOS operations. Their SORA aligned auto-planning systems, DAA, and advanced autonomous flight-guidance solutions are designed to improve safety and efficiency in the evolving landscape of ITM.

Volant Autonomy and uAvionix are ARPAS-UK members.

22 July 2024

One of the major challenges in integrating uncrewed aircraft into the same skies as crewed aircraft is that they communicate using different languages, in essence verbal vs data.

As experts in trialling advanced communications technology alongside their specialised aviation tasking, Draken Europe has been hard at work recently with their partners Volant Autonomy, supporting trials in the Agile Integrated Airspace System programme (aka ALIAS).

Last week, the ALIAS partners successfully completed their first flight trial using Draken’s crewed Diamond DA42 aircraft in proximate airspace with SkyLift’s uncrewed platform. This is the first of multiple flight trials in which Volant will be building team situation awareness, culminating in uncrewed SkyDrones, SkyLift and SkyPorts being able to operate safely and confidently in the same proximate airspace as Draken’s crewed aircraft.

Anthony (Tony) O’Connor, Draken’s Director of Strategic Bid Programmes, is leading the development of Draken’s #RPAS capability. He explained the role Draken is currently delivering in the ALIAS trials:

“We recognise there is considerable opportunity for us in building teaming capability to conduct safe UAV operations in challenging and congested airspace. Our investment in this goal is reflected in the contribution we bring to the ALIAS Project, part of Phase 3 of the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge. The ALIAS project will deliver huge benefits in technological capability. The addition of Draken’s extensive operational experience will, we hope, result in commercial benefits for the whole consortium.”

5 December 2023