Harris to support BVLOS UAS flight operations

Harris Corporation has been selected by Grand Sky Airfield Operations to provide its RangeVue system to support beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS flight operations, the company announced on 8 May.

The customised RangeVue sense system will provide real-time situational awareness of unmanned and manned aircraft traffic, with multi-sensor surveillance for cooperative and non-cooperative vehicles. The solution will cover operations at the 217-acre unmanned aircraft business and aviation park located on Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.

The system will enable safe, efficient and FAA-compliant BVLOS UAS operations and testing without the need for chase planes to provide constant visual surveillance during flight. Available surveillance sources, including Grand Forks AFB's radar feed, locally installed ADS-B Xtend and FAA NextGen surveillance data – will be combined into a single stream that offers advanced area coverage and airspace visualisation for operators.

Tom Swoyer, president, Grand Sky, said: 'We are excited to work with Harris in creating an ecosystem where Grand Sky tenants will have the ability to conduct first-of-its-kind BVLOS UAS flights. Grand Sky's capabilities are rapidly expanding, enabling commercial and government operators to efficiently deploy their technologies and conduct operations.'