Thales TopSky - UAS, a cloud-based platform for unmanned air traffic management (UTM) is now operational at Rennes airport, having entered service at Lille airport in May 2021.
The Group is supporting France's air navigation service provider (DSNA) in the implementation of the European U-Space initiatives to guarantee flight safety and the efficiency of drone traffic management.
Thales TopSky - UAS is a collaborative solution used by drone operators, air navigation services and administrative services to simplify the flight request process and grant drones access to airspace more quickly.
Thales's TopSky - UAS solution is already in service in Lille, in northern France, and has now been adopted by air traffic controllers at Rennes airport in Brittany to manage unmanned air traffic. The solution makes the flight request process more efficient, helping drone operators to gain easier access to airspace.
The DSNA launched the "U-Space Together" initiative in response to the growing number of drone operations and the continuing need to ensure safe, efficient airspace management. Thales was selected to support air traffic controllers at Lille and Rennes airports in meeting these new challenges.
TopSky - UAS automates analysis of the regulatory compliance of planned flight data, interfaces with France's national register of drone operators (AlphaTango) to verify the data entered, and manages the process of reviewing flight requests in line with local protocols. This automatic analysis function enables drone operators and air traffic controllers to concentrate on the operational aspects of the flight requests, simplifying administrative procedures, reducing error rates and lightening the workload of the different groups of users.
TopSky - UAS includes specific user interfaces for air navigation services and administrative services, and is interoperable with third-party solutions such as the Clearance application for drone operators. Thales and the air navigation services at Lille and Rennes will also explore tactical functions including drone tracking in flight and alert procedures if an unmanned aircraft deviates from its approved flight path.
"The TopSky - UAS solution is the result of two years of close collaboration between air traffic controllers at Lille, the local administrative services (Préfecture du Nord) and Thales. It significantly improves the handling of local drone flight requests and allows air traffic controllers at Lille to manage drone operations more efficiently in real time. Beyond the solution itself, TopSky - UAS is a starting point in the effort to meet the future challenges of U-Space." Géry Grave, Head of Quality and Safety, DSNA air navigation services (Nord)
"The partnership with the DSNA is a key part of Thales's efforts to provide safe and efficient unmanned air traffic management services to the UAS community. It is also a unique opportunity to draw on the operational experience of the DSNA and France's vibrant ecosystem of drone operators." Christian Rivierre, Vice President, Airspace Mobility Solutions, Thales
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THALES SA published this content on 30 November 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 30 November 2021 13:50:02 UTC.
Thales is one of the European leaders in manufacturing and marketing of electronic equipment and systems for the defense and security, aerospace, and transportation sectors. Net sales break down by product group as follows:
- defense and security systems (53.4%): C4I defense and security systems (control and monitoring systems, communication, protection, cyber-security, and other systems), defense mission systems, naval systems, electronic war systems, drones, air operation systems (air defense, air surveillance), ground defense systems and missiles;
- aerospace systems (28.4%): avionics equipment (cockpit, cabin multimedia, and simulation equipment), space systems (satellites, payloads, etc.);
- digital identification and security solutions (18.2%).
Besides, the group owns a 35% stake in Naval Group (manufacture of naval equipment for defense and nuclear energy sectors).
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: France (29.5%), the United Kingdom (6.6%), Europe (24.8%), the United States and Canada (14%), Asia (9.4%), Near and Middle East (6%), Australia and New Zealand (4.4%) and other (5.3%).