RPS CORE LAYER STANDADISATION
Development of Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) covering the Remote Pilot Station (RPS) Core Layer of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to be operated in the EASA certified category of operations.
Background information
This ambitious project aims at ensuring the availability of standards for the production of RPS – also known as Command Unit – to enable the safe integration of UAS into the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. It is focused on the production of MOPS covering all RPS essential elements to operate the Unmanned Aircraft/Remotely Piloted Aircraft. This standardisation activity is being built upon previous projects, specifications, and standards in both the ATM and Airworthiness domains, linking ongoing actions with recent projects and activities at EDA.
It is well understood that standardisation activities are key to the development of safe, secure and interoperable systems, which provide clarity to industry for the manufacturing and production of Remote Pilot Stations for UAS operating in the Certified category of Operations. Furthermore, standards significantly facilitate the establishment of regulation in both civil and military domains so that industry standards from a recognized body, such as EUROCAE, can be easily translated to Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) by aviation authorities.
The project, which is divided into three phases, was awarded in December of 2021 to an industrial consortium composed by Airbus Defence and Space (ES), GMV (PT) and Alter Technology (ES).
Video walk through
PHASE 1
This phase produced and validated a draft MOPS of the RPS Core Layer, to be used as input to start standardisation activities at EUROCAE.
This phase involved
- Generation of a generic Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System RPS architecture with the identification of the Core Layer elements, as per ICAO definition.
- Assessment and consolidation of existing Airworthiness and Air Traffic Integration requirements.
- Development of the required preliminary technical content for the MOPS.
- Preliminary Validation of MOPS on initial validation campaign.
PHASE 2
This phase was focused on supporting the standardisation activities to further mature the preliminary draft of MOPS developed in Phase 1 under EUROCAE WG-105 up to Open Consultation.
Objectives
- Lead the EUROCAE WG-105 SG4 activities to evolve the preliminary “Minimum Operational Performance Standard (MOPS) For Command Unit Core Layer of UAS to be Operated in the EASA Certified Category of Operations“ up to open consultation document (published on Nov 29, 2022):
- Set up the standardisation group with industry members.
- Organise group meetings and needed reviews.
- Lead the drafting of the MOPS and support the internal reviews up to the publication for open consultation and commenting.
- Carry out a simulation-based test campaign to validate the MOPS requirements:
- Ensure that the RPS is compliant with these requirements, and it can conduct safe operations in controlled airspace in accordance with existing regulations and procedures.
- Validation is based on the execution of scenarios with Remote Pilots (RP) and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCO) in a simulation environment.
- Dissemination activities (project’s webpage, validation campaign video, Open Day)
PHASE 3
Dedicated to leading and supporting the required standardisation activities within EUROCAE WG-105 SG4, targeting the publication of the ED-311 MOPS document from its release for “Open Consultation” (SC2 output) until the final publication by EUROCAE.
Objectives
- Liaise with EUROCAE Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) as required until the final publication of the standard.
- Liaise with EUROCAE WG-105 leadership along the process and briefing on the open consultation process evolution in all WG-105 Steering Committees.
- Lead the standardisation working group during the “Open Consultation” process, managing comments received, liaising with reviewers, finding the acceptable trade-offs and modifying the RPS standard as agreed.
- Disseminate the project, including the update of the project’s webpage, participation at international events to promote the project and the standard; updating the video and leaflet in accordance to the project’s output and EDA’s corporate visual identity.
Deliverables
- Project Leaflet (Downloadable)
- MOPS (Pending Publication)
Developed by
The consortium is composed by AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE S.A. (project Lead), GMVIS, Skysoft S.A. and ALTER TECHNOLOGY TÜV NORD as a consortium to provide the services and deliverables requested by EDA in the Call for Tenders “Service Framework Contract for the provision of “RPS Core Layer Standardisation”.
Funded by
