As part of a new defence agreement, the Danish Defence will establish cooperation with the UAS Denmark. With it, the development of Denmark’s drone competences across sectors will be strengthened benefiting both parties.
In 2014 the Danish Defence and Hans Christian Andersen Airport in Odense, Denmark, signed a Letter of Intent regarding cooperation with UAS Denmark. In the defence agreement announced on Sunday 28 January 2018, Denmark further strengthened the Defence commitment to the continued development of Denmark’s drone industry.
The news about The Danish Defence’s commitment to support drone development have been positively received by UAS Denmark’s Commercial Director, Michael Larsen. In May 2017, UAS Denmark at Hans Christian Andersen Airport launched a new widespread drone airspace for long-range drones (BVLOS = Beyond Visual Line of Sight), which comprises 867 square kilometres of drone testing airspace in a new strategic cooperation with SDU UAS Center, led by test center director Brad Beach. The cooperation with the test center at Hans Christian Andersen Airport will make a strong foundation for the national drone cluster, another key activity of UAS Denmark.
“We are looking forward to the cooperation with The Danish Defence. I am convinced that we will be able to pull on each of our strengths and together, we will create an even stronger foundation for the companies, which are connected to the Danish drone industry”, says Michael Larsen.
DANISH DEFENCE WILL TEST AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE
Concretely, the defence agreement states that The Danish Defence during the agreement period will establish a presence in the drone center, apply its capacities within testing to a relevant extent, ensure knowledge sharing and participate with a representative in the forthcoming Advisory Board for UAS Denmark’s Drone Center.
SDU’s UAS Center Director and UAS Denmark Test Center Manager, Brad Beach, sees additional potential for cooperation:
“In our facilities at Hans Christian Andersen Airport, we are installing a hi-tech composites and systems integration laboratories for research and support to a number of drone companies. We look forward to welcoming the Danish Defence as part of the rapidly growing drone cluster based at Hans Christian Andersen Airport”,.
OPTIMISM IN THE INDUSTRY
The drone community is encouraged the agreement will further advance the industry:se
“I am pleased to learn the Danish Defence has agreed to be part of and to strengthen the establishment of an internationally acknowledged drone center at Hans Christian Andersen Airport” Soeren Petersen, Vice President, Military Sales from Scandinavian Avionics states and goes on: “The Danish Defence’s involvement in a new test and development center will give Scandinavian Avionics greater opportunities for collaboration with the Danish Defence’s drone units about development and test of systems and components for drones, just as it presents an opportunity to cooperate within operations and maintenance, testing and certification of drones and drone equipment. It will also strengthen the industry that The Danish Defence will join UAS Denmark through knowledge sharing about the development of drones in NATO and other international fora”, Soeren Petersen from Scandinavian Avionics says.
The cooperation with The Danish Defence concerning drone technology even spills over to other technologies, where Denmark has strong competencies and now finds new synergies in the drone center in Odense, Denmark:
“We are far ahead in the field of radar technology in Denmark, and we experience great international demands for Weibel’s radar technology for drone monitoring and tests.” Peder R. Pedersen, CEO of Weibel Scientific says and goes on: ”Investments in the Danish drone test center is paramount if we want to win the race of being the first with new drone technology and drone surveillance technology. Just as important is it to develop Danish technology, which can protect Danish interests against hostile drones in close collaboration with the Danish Defence. Thus, I am pleased about The Danish Defence’s decision to collaborate with UAS Denmark”, Peder R. Pedersen, CEO, Weibel Scientific says.
Source: Press Release