New Monitoring Network Increases Drone Awareness

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

New research achieved an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry milestone in December 2018 with the first-ever drone test flights over a specially developed network.
The University of North Dakota partnered with Harris Corp. and the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site (NPUASTS) for the successful flights on Dec. 21. The development has the potential to open the skies for the broader commercial use of drones.
The Network is a system of integrated ground infrastructure enabling commercial UAS to fly farther and safer in the national airspace beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The new network monitors a 55-mile-long corridor.
The flights tested the Harris UAS Network’s ability to provide drone pilots with airspace awareness to stay clear of manned aircraft and other objects. The network is enhanced by locally deployed sensors for both cooperative and non-cooperative radar surveillance, as well as integration of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) NextGen UAS surveillance data feed.
Mark Askelson, an expert on radar technology, said the successful test flights are a big step toward unleashing a multi-billion-dollar industry for unmanned capabilities.
“The deployment of the Harris UAS Network system in North Dakota is a historical milestone for the commercial drone industry and is a major step forward toward widespread use of these advanced technologies. It demonstrates the leadership of North Dakota in attracting UAS research, entrepreneurship and investments,” said George Kirov, vice president and general manager, commercial UAS solution with Harris Electronic Systems. “As the network infrastructure extends across the state it will facilitate broad adoption of UAS, allowing governments to better serve their communities and making the leading industries of North Dakota more productive and competitive in the global marketplace.”, according to unmannedsystemstechnology.com.
Once fully operational, the Harris UAS network, together with the airspace authorizations above it, will represent the most advanced test bed in the country for UAS research and development. A more formal unveiling and demonstration of the UAS network is planned for Spring 2019.