The European Defence Agency (EDA) has been supporting Member States in advancing RPAS integration, following a similar milestone flight between France and Spain in 2021. Unlike the previous test, this latest flight took place in upper airspace for the first time, reaching an altitude of over 8,500 metres (28,000 feet).
The project was launched through an EDA-led call for tender, awarded to a consortium led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (Royal NLR) and the German armed forces. The German air force provided the Heron TP drone for the mission, with support from the German military aviation authority.
The Heron TP, developed by Israeli defence giant Israel Aerospace Industries, is a long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) drone with a wingspan of 26 metres and the capability to remain airborne for more than 24 hours. The test flight began from Schleswig, Germany, in military-controlled airspace before transitioning into civilian-controlled airspace under the supervision of German air traffic control and EUROCONTROL Maastricht.
One of EDA’s key objectives, in collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), is the full integration of RPAS into shared airspace without the need for special mitigation measures. The project aims to refine air traffic procedures to enable drones to operate seamlessly alongside conventional aircraft.
The recent test flight provided crucial insights for future cross-border drone operations and confirmed that the developed mitigation measures are effective across different RPAS platforms. Two more test flights are scheduled in the coming weeks to validate the system’s adaptability, further paving the way for the safe and efficient integration of RPAS into European airspace.
