Companies to Integrate UAVs Into Singapore’s Airspace
Inmarsat, the British satellite telecommunications company providing communications services to governments, aid agencies, media outlets, and businesses within the airline, shipping, and mining industries—announced On 15 March 2023 that Singapore-based Heron AirBridge, a concern specializing in Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) in the Asia Pacific region, had joined its Velaris Partner Network—a connectivity service intended to support the growth of the emergent commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sector.
Inmarsat asserts the partnership will set the worldwide standard for the integration of UAVs into national airspace systems.
Under the auspices of regional regulators, the two companies—by aligning Inmarsat Velaris command and control (C2) UAV datalink with Heron’s AirBridge UTM system—will facilitate the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft into Singapore’s commercial airspace.
Inmarsat will also supply Heron with its low-Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) Velaris satellite terminals for UAVs, thereby delivering the secure datalink upon which Beyond Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations are predicated. The Inmarsat-Heron AirBridge collaboration occasions the first deployment of Velaris technology in the Asia Pacific region. Trials of the system are slated to commence later this year.
Working with stakeholders across Singapore’s aviation community, Inmarsat and Heron will leverage the Velaris Partner Network for purpose of developing regulatory frameworks and technologies conducive to boosting the number of UAVs in the South Asian island nation’s airspace and providing a model for the successful integration of UAV systems in airspaces around the globe.
Inmarsat Aviation senior vice-president of aircraft operations & safety Joel Klooster stated: “Uncrewed aviation is a sector poised for growth. The air-vehicles and communications technology are ready, but unlocking their full potential hinges on consistent global regulatory progress.
Mr. Klooster added: Together with Heron, we are creating a blueprint for the integrated airspace of the future. Inmarsat’s Velaris technology, coupled with Heron’s regional domain expertise, will ensure operators of airspace and UAVs have the tools they need to drive regulatory acceptance in the region and beyond.”
Heron AirBridge CEO and co-founder Ryan Lee remarked: “Our partnership with Inmarsat is a major step towards increasing UAV integration into Singapore’s crowded airspace and updating regulation so that our efforts can be replicated worldwide. Working together, we look to establish Singapore as a world leader in this burgeoning sector, sharing our vision of creating value through the utilization of low-level airspace globally. Inmarsat was the sure partner in powering the movement, with Velaris ensuring that we’re equipped with the core network and datalink capabilities we need to drive UAV integration.”
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