In the framework of the European Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Steering Group (“ERSG”), established by the European Commission in 2012, there is the need to identify, plan, coordinate, and subsequently monitor the activities necessary to achieve the safe integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (“RPAS”) into the non-segregated Air Traffic Management (“ATM”) environment.
In the context of SESAR where the new generation of ATM systems and operations is being built, RPAS are likely to become some of the aircraft that SESAR systems will need to incorporate.
More specifically, the need for SESAR Integrated RPAS Demonstration Activities to ensure the adequate integration of these systems in non-segregated ATM had already been identified in different working documents published by the European Commission (see European UAS Panel final report).
On Friday 8 February 2013, SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) published a call for proposal concerns the conducting of RPAS demonstrations. The purpose of this call is to select a number of ‘Demonstration Activities’ Projects, including integrated pre-operational flight trial activities, which shall aim at:
- demonstrating how to integrate RPAS into non-segregated airspace in a multi-aircraft and manned flight environment, in order to explore the feasibility of integration with the wider aviation community by 2016;
- focusing on concrete results filling the operational and technical gaps identified for RPAS integration into non-segregated airspace; and
- capitalising on the SESAR delivery approach by providing synergies, risk and opportunities, with the overall SESAR programme.
The demonstration activities shall:
- be relevant at a European scale;
- be performed in European Union and/or Eurocontrol member States;
- cover various types and sizes of RPAS, and
- be performed between the third quarter 2013 and first quarter 20151.
Each project selected by the SJU shall be the subject of one individual co-financing agreement and co-financed to a maximum of 50% of the total actual eligible costs2. This call is part of the Annual Work Programme 2013 of the SJU, approved by the Administrative Board on 19 December 2012 and is in accordance with the SJU Financial Rules adopted by the Administrative Board on 31 December 2010, Title VI, Article 75.
As a result of this call, the SJU intends to select and co-finance approximately 10 projects, each for a maximum duration of twenty four months.
The SJU will place individual agreements for each selected project and may finance up to a maximum of 50% of the total eligible cost incurred by the selected consortium to perform the project. Any entity responding to this call shall be set up as a consortium, which shall be composed of at least two independent legal entities, including at least one RPAS operator and one air navigation service provider, which shall ensure, as far as possible, the relations with the relevant regulatory authorities.
Available total budget: € 4.000.000 Budget per demo (max): € 500.000 Quantity of demos: 10 Deadline for requesting additional information: 4 April 2013 Last day on which clarifications are issued: 12 April 2013 Submission deadline: 19 April 2013 Notification of award: Mid-May 2013 (indicative)
All relevant documents can be found on the SESAR JU Procurement web site: SESAR JU Procurement Webpage: – “SESAR Integrated Remotely Piloted Air System Demonstration Activities (ref SJU/LC/087-CFP)”.