During a meeting of national armament directors today at the Paris Air Show, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden put the European Defence Agency (EDA) in charge of launching the (MID-air Collision Avoidance System) MIDCAS programme. This programme will enable UAVs to fly in global airspace alongside other aircraft.
The MIDCAS programme will be allocated a Eur 50 million budget over 48 months. It will bring together 14 manufacturers and research centres from its five contributing nations, including Sagem Defence & Security and Thales Airborne Systems. Sweden was entrusted with the project leadership and Saab Aerosystems with the coordination of subcontractors.
Today, UAVs cannot operate outside restricted and provisional areas, which limits their use for military, civil and security applications. The MIDCAS programme aims at demonstrating that UAVs can fly safely in undivided airspace thanks to technological solutions like the 'sense and avoid' system. This enables UAVs to avoid potential collisions and respond with appropriate manoeuvres. It is an automated transposition of the 'see and avoid' procedure used by pilots to UAVs.
MIDCAS will be developed in close collaboration with the relevant European authorities, including the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) and the European Agency for Air Safety (EASA). It will also be coordinated with the US, with organisations such as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
DroneSentry-X, a cross-vehicle compatible, automated 360° C-UAS detect and defeat device, can offer 360° awareness and protection using integrated sensors. According to its manufacturer, it is suitable for mobile operations, on-site surveillance and on-the-move missions.
Funded by the country’s former president, the new C-UAS systems will be sent to the frontline where they have already been tested against Russian invading forces.
Connect with us on socials
