The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) and AURA Network Systems (AURA) today announced a collaboration to install infrastructure throughout New York’s 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) corridor, utilizing AURA’s secure command-and-control (C2) communication links that provide voice, data, and navigation capabilities for the aviation industry. To enhance the commercial viability of UAS, drones require capabilities that enable safe flight farther than pilots can see, referred to as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). AURA’s wireless network will provide real-time, reliable communications that UAS need to conduct safe BVLOS operations.
“Having AURA’s network throughout our 50-mile UAS corridor unlocks a whole new level of commercial drone operations,” according to NUAIR Chief Executive Officer Ken Stewart. “When pilots are flying drones beyond visual line of sight, they need real-time, reliable communications that ensure safe operations, and AURA provides that kind of reliability. NUAIR continues to pave the way for advanced, commercial drone operations, and AURA’s technology will allow us to help even more companies integrate economically viable and scalable drone operations.”
AURA Chief Executive Officer Bill Tolpegin echoed Stewart’s sentiments, noting NUAIR’s commitment for industry-leading efforts that prioritize innovation, hands-on training, and development of technologies that benefit the 50-mile UAS corridor between Syracuse and Rome, NY.
“Thanks to NUAIR’s expertise and leadership, Central New York has become an ideal place to integrate and launch commercial UAS operations – providing countless business sectors with the resources necessary to integrate drones into daily operations so they can better serve their customers and communities, while also decreasing their cost of operations.”
While it was designed to facilitate both manned and unmanned aviation, AURA’s private network customization for the specific needs of the UAS industry will help unlock the true commercial viability of drones by providing the essential components for safe BVLOS operations – ultra-reliable, secure, and real-time communications. NUAIR and AURA are currently surveying the optimal placement for AURA’s C2 infrastructure and plan to have the system installed and functional by the end of 2021. The collaboration will emphasize how AURA’s services and equipment will meet Federal Aviation Administration standards, allowing the safe integration of UAS and C2 communications into the national airspace.