Test Sites For 'Sense And Avoid' To Be Chosen Next Year

The Pentagon and the FAA have announced that the U.S. will create between four and ten regions in domestic airspace where testing of unmanned aircraft systems will be conducted to evaluate new "sense and avoid" technology. The areas will enable testing in heavily-traveled commercial airspace, and site selection will reportedly begin next year.

AOL Defense reports that Steve Pennington, executive director of the Defense Policy Board on Federal Aviation, confirmed last week that the sites will not be co-located with existing Defense Department sites already cleared for UAS testing, such as Grand Forks Air Force Base, but will likely abut such sites.

The idea is to start demonstrating that technology allowing UAS to "sense-and-avoid" will be safe enough to let them fly in the "see-and-avoid" world of manned aircraft. In the coming round of tests, the UAS will get help from ground-based systems to help them avoid mid-air collisions with manned aircraft. Data from ATC and other sources will be fed to ground-based operators of unmanned craft to allow them to preserve separation.

The authorization to create the zones is part of the FAA reauthorization legislation stalled in Congress. Lawmakers are expected to take a fresh look at finally providing the FAA with long-term funding and authorization when they return from their summer vacations next month.

So...what federal lawmaker would want to allow mixing of manned and unmanned air traffic over his district? Pennington predicts lawmakers will compete for that opportunity when they see the increased federal spending it could bring in their areas.

FMI: www.defense.gov