FAA awards $12 million for drone research projects

The FAA has awarded $12 million to 19 drone research and testing projects through its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Broad Agency Announcement Program, the agency said. The work covers detect-and-avoid systems, satellite communications, drone identification, and links between drone traffic management and conventional air traffic control.

Several projects focus on long-range operations beyond visual line of sight. General Atomics will build ground-based equipment to keep drones clear of other aircraft, and Skydweller will develop an onboard system for large unmanned aircraft. OneRadio will examine passive radar, Censys Technologies will assess satellite communications for long-distance flights, and Lighthouse Avionics will work on surveillance equipment for extended drone routes. ANRA Technologies received awards for multiple projects, including technology to connect drone traffic-management systems with standard air traffic control at airports.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the program lets the agency work directly with industry and its test site partners on technologies it considers critical to integrating drones safely. The research will provide better data, help identify operational challenges and inform how the aircraft are brought into the National Airspace System, he said.

The awards come as the FAA continues developing a proposed Part 108 framework for routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. General aviation groups have raised questions about electronic conspicuity, right-of-way and detect-and-avoid requirements in that proposal. A Government Accountability Office report in February also found gaps in planning for dependable communications and collision avoidance as drone operations grow. The FAA operates nine designated UAS test sites, where research includes beyond-visual-line-of-sight work.