A German Heron TP drone flew in military- and civilian-controlled airspace between Germany and the Netherlands recently, marking another step towards remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) being allowed to fly safely alongside commercial airlines and other manned aviation.
The round-trip test flight built on previous work by the European Defence Agency (EDA), which has been supporting its Member States in the safe integration of RPAS into general air traffic (GAT) airspace. It follows a similar milestone flight between France and Spain in December of 2021. But this year, the flight took place in upper airspace — for the first time.
EDA initiated the project through a call for tender, which was awarded to a consortium led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) together with the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (Royal NLR) and the German armed forces. The German air force provided the Heron TP drone for testing and the project also received the support of the German military aviation authority.
The Heron TP, which with its 26 meter wingspan, can fly for more than 24 hours, took off from Schleswig in northern Germany, initially climbing in military-controlled airspace. From there, it was handed over to German air traffic control and EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre, before transitioning into Dutch airspace at more than 8,500 meters (28,000 feet) above sea level, a region primarily occupied by commercial aircraft.
The German Heron TP drone is a joint Israeli-German project developed by Airbus and Israel Aerospace Industries, designed for SR.
One of EDA’s goals, along with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), is to enable the full integration of large RPAS into general air traffic airspace. By testing, evaluating, and refining the procedures, the project is helping to bridge the gap between ‘accommodation’ or ‘mitigation’ measures and full integration. EDA, working closely with EASA and EUROCONTROL, as well as national aviation authorities, is laying the foundation for a more secure and efficient airspace across Europe.
The German-Dutch mission implemented lessons learned to further refine the procedures to make such cross-border flights more commonplace. With two more test flights planned in the coming weeks, the focus is on demonstrating that mitigation measures developed so far are ‘aircraft agnostic’ — meaning that they work across different RPAS platforms, including civilian drones. The aim is that the full integration of RPAS into shared airspace will soon be possible. Unlike the previous mission between France and Spain, which used a different drone model, February’s test helped confirm that integration procedures work across various aircraft, not just a single RPAS design.
Another objective of the test flights is to trial procedures in the event of a loss of communication between the remote pilot and the aircraft and to operate the drone at its maximum altitude. These flights are planned to take place over the coming weeks.
Founded in 2004, the Agency helps foster defence cooperation across Europe. It serves as the central hub for EU countries aiming to develop their defence capabilities together. EDA’s activities span from harmonising requirements and developing operational capabilities to research, technology, innovation, training, and supporting Common Security and Defence Policy operations. The agency also works closely with the European defence industry to strengthen Europe’s technological and industrial base.
Article by ©EDA, Bundeswehr /Lars Pötzsch, EUROCONTROL, DLR