Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

1. What are UASs currently being used for worldwide?

Unmanned Aircraft Systems are aircraft that are flown without a pilot on board, since they are remotely controlled. The concept is a total departure from the traditional aircraft, which are flown by pilots on board. Unmanned aircraft carry cameras, sensors and other payload and are currently deployed in the military, mainly for intelligence-gathering, surveillance, target identification and reconnaissance.

2. When did the concept of UASs start?

The concept of UAS started around the 1950s in the USA. However, not much progress was made and these programmes were thus discontinued due to a lack of funding and technological immaturity.

3. What is the current status of UASs in SA?

Some advancements have been made regarding the utilization of UASs in the country. For example, two local companies, Denel and ATE manufacture UASs and the SADF utilizes them for its missions.

4. Who is using UASs in SA, and for what purpose?

Within the military environment, UASs are currently deployed in the Defence Force as target drones, target acquisition and for tactical purposes in peace-keeping missions etc. In the civilian domain, utilization of UASs includes border control, game counting and surveillance of power lines.

5. What has been the industry and Government’s reaction towards UASs?

The Department of Science and Technology`s Strategy for a Sustainable, Economic and Growing Aerospace Industry (ASSEGAI) considers the Research and Development of UAS technology as key a component to the competitiveness of the SA Aerospace Industry and thus growing the SA economy.

The Department of Transport received and returned an ICAO request to nominate an aviation expert to the ICAO UAS Study Group and the SACAA has responded by establishing a dedicated UAS office and a UAS Standards Working Group (UASSWG) which is the “clearing house” for all UAS work.

The industry, on the other hand, is impatiently anticipating the insertion of UASs into the national aviation system. The manufacturing sector is particularly eager to develop the technology that will render the UAS as a legitimate general airspace user.

6. Are there any regulatory instruments governing the operation of UASs?

Currently there are no existing UAS regulations. However, the SACAA, with the support of the UASSWG, has developed an Interim UAS Policy which provides guidance to determine whether UASs may be allowed to operate in the National Airspace System and aerodromes. The UASSWG will further develop airworthiness, system performance and operational standards from which regulations may flow to administer UASs in the long term.

7. Are UASs more likely to have a negative effect on civil aviation, e.g. by making pilots redundant?

No. It is not intended that UASs should impact negatively on the aviation system. In fact, UAS technology will enhance the civil aviation system in many ways. UASs are piloted from the ground as opposed to on-board pilots, as is the case with manned aircraft.

8. Will UASs not pose a danger in airspace, and what is being done to ensure their safety?

The fact that UASs are segregated from the national airspace system, is evidence that they do pose a danger to general aviation traffic in that they have not been subjected to the stringent certification requirements manned platforms are routinely subjected to, as they have only been confined to military operations. The UAS cannot perform a “See and Avoid” function as there is no pilot on board the aircraft. The UAS would have to “Detect, Sense and Avoid” other traffic. This is a major milestone to the development of UASs. Other barriers include the absence of Airworthiness Standards and Regulations.

9. When will UASs come into full operation?

The vision is still being formulated, however it is generally accepted that by 2015, we should be experiencing more integration of UASs into the civil aviation system.

10. Given Africa’s bad safety record, will the introduction of UAVs into Africa not exacerbate existing problems in the skies?

Statistics have shown that the majority of accidents are attributed to on-board pilot error. UASs have removed the flight deck from the aircraft and placed it on the ground. It is envisioned that with the resolution of the technological barriers mentioned above, UASs will in fact make all aircraft visible to one another and Air traffic Controllers and thus raise the bar on aviation safety.

11. Does the SACAA have enough capacity and the required expertise to effectively oversee this emerging sector of the aviation industry?

The SACAA has taken a proactive stance in this regard by being amongst the first civil aviation regulators in the world who have seen the need to have a dedicated UASs operational unit, within its structure. The work programme that is currently under development within this unit will inform the staffing levels required and the SACAA will embark on a training, research and development programme for its personnel.

12. What is the role of the UAS Standards Working Group and what progress has it already made?

The UASSWG is in essence a working group set up by the SACAA to spearhead the development of a UAS regulatory framework by establishing aviation safety standards. The most important achievement of the group has been the finalization of a proposed Interim UAS Policy document which will be published in the government gazette for public comment in the near future.