Enabling the Drone Ecosystem

“Thales on the whole drone ecosystem” series. Chapter 4 : Laying the foundations for the drone revolution
(Access to other chapters at the end of this article)

The arrival of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) has already revolutionised both the military and commercial sectors, and this is just the beginning. 

‘It’s a challenging industry because it’s touching many segments (UAV platforms, traffic management, Air surveillance …) making the ecosystem quite complex. But at the same time, it will happen because drones will bring a huge added value to our day-to-day life. That’s what’s wonderful – it’s a great space to play.’ (Frank Erb, Thales)

However, despite the vast growth potential, significant obstacles must be overcome.

In modern warfare, the value of UAS has been highlighted in recent conflicts. The widespread deployment of drones has shown that they have the potential to transform the way frontline forces are monitored and protected.

For the commercial sector, the seamless integration of autonomous aircraft into controlled airspace is a top priority for the industry.
As drone usage increases in the next several years and beyond, air traffic density is expected to surge compared to crewed aviation. Some specialists predict that the number of UAS in the airspace will eventually reach nearly 10,000 drones for each crewed aircraft.
Thus, the critical issue is finding ways to accommodate this substantial uptick in traffic without imposing additional concerns related to workload, safety, and security.