Swedish Evaluation of a MALE UAV-system in Civil and Military Airspace from a Civilian Airport

Claes Danielsson, FMV, Linköping, Sweden
Thomas Hylander, FMV, Linköping, Sweden
Bengt Olsson, FMV, Linköping, Sweden
Rolf Andersson, SSC Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden

Abstract

During may-june 2002 the Swedish Defence Material Administration and the Swedish Space Cooperation evaluated a MALE UAV-system operated from Kiruna Airport in the northern part of Sweden. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Swedish Defence forces, the Meteorological Institute of Stockholm University, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration and with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company and Israeli Aircraft Industry Ltd as contractors for the UAV-system (IAI/Malat EAGLE).

The test flights were performed in both civilian and military airspace, within the North European Airspace Test range (NEAT), with the UAV taking off and landing at Kiruna Airport. The evaluation was a predemonstration of a MALE UAV for the planned System Demonstration 2005, a demonstration of the new Swedish NBF, “Network Centric Warfare”. The purpose of the evaluation was also to evaluate a MALE UAV-system for both civil and military use and, in cooperation with military and civilian airworthiness authorities, establish a feasible airworthiness process for Flight Test Permits. As Kiruna airport is the second airport in Sweden to receive the new VDL mode 4, GPS-based, transponder system, the UAV was equipped with this system.

The results from the evaluation performed show that it is possible, within the current rules and regulations, to perform flights with UAV’s from a civil airport within civil and military airspace. The results also show that NEAT is a proper space to perform this type of flights, as the area is very vast. It also showed that MALE UAV-system would be of use in System Demonstration 2005 as well as for other civilian and military purposes.