MIDCAS

A major requirement for UAS Air Traffic Insertion is the development of ‘Sense and Avoid’ (S&A) technologies in order for Unmanned Aerial Systems to ‘feel’ other aircraft flying in normal airspace and to correct the course, if needed, to avoid a collision.

The EDA technological study on S&A carried out in 2006-2007 allowed to demonstrate initial feasibility of S&A systems for UAS and pointed out the necessity for further safety and performance demonstration initiatives at the European level. The pilot's responsibility to "see and avoid" needs an equivalent mechanism in unmanned systems, i.e. a Sense & Avoid system to determine the presence of potential collision threats and manoeuvring clear of them.

To solve this issue for future air traffic, numerous efforts have been made at national level to identify and develop technologies for S&A which have been demonstrated in recent years. However, to reach a common view on requirements and operation together with the acceptance for the solution(s) to the S&A issue, a united effort is required where existing knowledge and conclusions are put together with a European and global perspective.

In June 2009 the signature of the MIDCAS (Midair Collision Avoidance System) contract at Le Bourget Air Show in Paris marked a milestone in this technology development under EDA’s umbrella. The MIDCAS project, an Agency Category B project, is run by five pMS: Sweden (lead nation), France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The MIDCAS industry consortium is composed of 13 companies of the five participating Member States. They hold a large portion of European knowledge on Sense & Avoid as well as on other technologies relevant for the project.

The aim of the MIDCAS project, with a value of € 50 million, is to “demonstrate the baseline of solutions for the Unmanned Aircraft System Mid-air Collision Avoidance Function” acceptable by the manned aviation community and compatible with UAS operations in non-segregated airspace by 2015. It is a unique project: nowhere else in the world the Sense and Avoid technologies are under development. Thus, MIDCAS can have a world-wide impact.

Transatlantic standardisation will be an important aspect – another element the Agency is paying attention to. For the European UAS agenda, the use of a common set of European standards for UAS Air Traffic Insertion will enhance competition, foster innovation, release company investments and lead to further advances in technology and new civil and military applications. Hence, a common European inventory of standards will contribute to a much stronger UAS European Defence Technology Industrial Base.