MIDCAS, an EDA sponsored €50 million industry project to develop advanced collision-avoidance abilities for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), will see its first demonstration flight by summer 2013.
MIDCAS provides a cornerstone solution for the integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace. The MIDCAS industry consortium is composed of 13 companies of the five participating Member States: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden (lead nation). Launched in September 2009, the project’s main principles are standardisation support, systems engineering, functional design, demonstrator design, tests & evaluation, as well as safety.
The developed detect and avoid demonstrator will be tested on a conventional manned aircraft in France before summer 2013. In the first half of 2014 the MIDCAS demonstrator will be tested and validated on board of an unmanned demonstrator aircraft. This RPAS flying campaign will take place in Sweden.
The project is significantly supported by the stakeholder community to ensure a harmonised transition from project result to a detect and avoid standard.
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