Thales, Viasat, and their partners announced on Apr. 21 the completion of a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) connectivity demonstration as part of ongoing efforts to build real-world evidence 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 programme aims to enable safe integration of uncrewed aircraft into regular airspace using trusted communications systems.
According to the announcement, these flight trials are focused on gathering evidence about how different communication technologies can work together in complex operational environments. Thales serves as system integrator for Iris and coordinates the trials with support from partners such as Viasat, TTP plc, Dimetor, and Cranfield University. Each partner contributes specialized expertise in areas like satellite communications, terminal technology for drones, terrestrial networks, surveillance systems, and flight planning tools.
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.”
The ongoing collaboration between industry leaders aims to inform regulatory decisions while supporting safer growth in uncrewed aviation.
