The subject of detecting and defending against illegally operated drones is currently a hot topic in public debate. And it is causing a great deal of uncertainty. First and foremost among the general public, but also among companies and organizations. However, uncertainty and unclear prospects for the future are poison for the economy.
Unmanned systems are already making valuable contributions in a wide variety of areas of life. For example, in agriculture, in the maintenance of wind turbines, or in the rapid transport of urgent medical goods. “The sensible use of drones should not be restricted; instead, their enormous social and economic potential should be consistently exploited,” says Dr. Gerald Wissel, CEO of UAV DACH. “A general loss of confidence in this technology would be fatal.”
In addition to a lack of willingness to provide funding and unresolved questions of responsibility between the federal government, states, municipalities, and private institutions such as international airport operators, there are also technological issues that need to be addressed. For example, the consolidation of existing data into a common airspace situation picture for all relevant authorities is long overdue. In addition, mandatory, fraud-proof electronic signatures for all airspace participants are essential. “In order to detect and combat illegal drones, we need electronic visibility of all legal airspace participants,” summarizes Dr. Gerald Wissel.
UAV DACH is committed to safe and economically sustainable UAS flight operations. This also includes technical and regulatory frameworks for dealing with illegally operated drones. In a joint working group with the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), experts from UAV DACH have developed specific recommendations for action for the German federal government, which could also promote these at the European level.