Thales, Viasat, and several partners announced on Apr. 21 the completion of a demonstration for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) connectivity for uncrewed aircraft operations. The trial is part of the Iris airspace modernization programme, which is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and industry partners.
The initiative aims to build evidence around trusted and resilient communications needed for integrating uncrewed aircraft into non-segregated airspace. The flight trials are designed to observe how different communication technologies can work together within a multi-link framework as BVLOS activity increases.
Thales serves as system integrator for Iris, coordinating efforts among Viasat, TTP plc, Dimetor, Cranfield University, and others who contribute expertise in satellite communications, terrestrial networks, surveillance systems, and airspace management. These ongoing trials are intended to support collaboration between industry stakeholders and regulators in developing safe frameworks for future drone operations.
Thomas Neubauer, CEO & Co-Founder of Dimetor said: “For remotely piloted aircraft systems, situational awareness on knowing where, when and at what quality terrestrial and non‑terrestrial connectivity are available in the airspace is critical to safe and scalable operations. Because automated drone operations are only as safe and reliable as the data they run on, we are very excited that our AirborneRF and AirborneRF HUB solutions are delivering this real-time information to ensure that every decision in remote airspace is accurate, timely, resilient and trustworthy.”
Paul Febvre from Cranfield University said: “Cranfield’s unique digital aviation facilities and expertise in satellite communications and resilient navigation enables partners to undertake exciting trials like this… This kind of exercise is vital in developing the case for regulators and industry on future technology integrations.” Martin Wallis from TTP plc added: “A secure reliable command-and-control link is essential for BVLOS operations… We are delighted that these terminals provided by TTP brand Gotonomi were able to play a key part in this flight trial.”
Davide Tomassini from ESA commented: “Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLoS) operations represent most of the future market value potential in the RPAS domain… BVLoS operations are a critical step towards the future of Urban Air Mobility for transport within cities.”
These collaborative activities reflect an ongoing effort across sectors to enable safe integration of drones into shared skies through trusted communication links.
