Multinational conglomerate Honeywell has collaborated with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to co-develop sense-and-avoid (SAA) capabilities for IAI's Heron family of MALE unmanned aerial systems (UASs). 

The system will be tested and demonstrated in 2018.

It is being developed with a funding from the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, which was formed by the governments of Israel and the US.

Honeywell Aerospace defence and space president Carey Smith said: "Sense-and-avoid solutions do not currently exist for UASs to operate in a national civilian airspace.

“With more manned and unmanned vehicles entering that airspace, the need for sense-and-avoid is increasing.

"We have decades of experience helping manned aircraft operate safely around the world, and now we're applying that knowledge and inventing new technologies and solutions to create a safer airspace."

“With more manned and unmanned vehicles entering that airspace, the need for sense-and-avoid is increasing."

The SAA system will incorporate software, algorithms and hardware developed by Honeywell, as well as the fusion of inputs from various sensors embedded in a single prototype box or line-replaceable unit (LRU).

For the system, IAI will provide its separation and collision avoidance manoeuvring logic and ground control station (GCS) pilot interface.

System development will take place in both Honeywell and IAI’s facilities in the US and Israel respectively, with flight testing planned in Israeli airspace.

In the near future, the new system is expected to set the foundation for safe operation and integration of unmanned aircraft into civilian airspace.

It will also help contribute to policies and procedures requiring certification of avionics and platform systems.

Image: Representatives of Israel Aerospace Industries and Honeywell Aerospace. Photo: courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries.