BIRDS, a São Paulo-based provider of turnkey autonomous UAS solutions, will use High Lander’s Vega UTM solution to manage airspaces as part of Brazil’s BR-UTM project.

Following acceptance into the project by the Brazilian Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), BIRDS will perform the demonstrations to answer the requirements set forward by the authority as it investigates the implementation of unmanned traffic management (UTM) technology throughout the country.

“BIRDS is proud to receive authorization from DECEA to participate in this groundbreaking project, and to demonstrate the power of Vega UTM in enabling entire UAS ecosystems to flourish safely,” said Léo Szterenzys, CEO of BIRDS. “BIRDS provides the very best in UAS management software, and we’re confident that Vega UTM will fulfill all regulatory, operational and technological requirements.”

The Brazilian drone ecosystem has shown consistent and rapid growth since 2020, with drones seeing heavy use in agriculture, security and deliveries. Brazil is also one of the more promising arenas for the burgeoning advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. As a result, Brazilian authorities have a pressing need for airspace management technology that can integrate UAS and eVTOLs unto airspaces safely, and in September 2022, DECEA published an ordinance (439/DNOR8) authorizing the Brazilian Air Force’s national UTM concept of operations (DFA 351-6).

BR-UTM is a central part of this concept. Kicking off in September 2023, the project is led by DECEA and the Institute of Airspace Control (ICEA) and aims to develop a UAS-friendly infrastructure by way of public-private partnerships with technology providers. Requirements include UTM zone creation and restriction sharing, real-time airspace monitoring, integration between air traffic management (ATM) and UTM systems, and a regulatory infrastructure. BR-UTM will run implementation tests to find practical solutions as to how these capabilities can be integrated into Brazilian airspaces.

BIRDS, which provides UAS technology packages to major clients throughout Brazil, already uses Vega UTM to ensure its clients’ drone operations are safe and compliant with the sophisticated airspace regulations of Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). Created by High Lander, a global provider of UAS fleet management and uncrewed traffic management software solutions, Vega UTM is a powerful platform that’s been extensively field-tested around the world, so it’s a short jump to apply it to the Brazilian national airspace.

Alon Abelson, CEO and co-founder of High Lander, commented: “Brazil is home to one of world’s fastest-growing drone ecosystems, and we’re proud to see BIRDS present Vega UTM as a contender for the country’s national airspace management solution. Vega provides a complete suite of UTM services in compliance with international regulations and standards, and has proven experience of nationwide management of UAS traffic, so we’re confident in the success of this project.”

About BIRDS: BIRDS is a provider of turnkey autonomous security solutions for major clients across Brazil. Created by an international consortium of leading UAS technology and service providers, BIRDS draws on a wealth of aviation and technology experience and world-class proprietary technology to provide an unprecedented array of services, at any scale and in a single package. For more information, and a free consultation, contact BIRDS at [email protected] or visit www.birds-br.com.  

About High Lander: High Lander was established in 2018 by aviation veterans and technology experts with a dream: a fully integrated sky where crewed and uncrewed aircraft operate in harmony. The company is achieving this with two scalable, software-only solutions. The first is Orion DFM, a platform for creating, managing and automating drone missions for any application, including public safety, deliveries, security and precision agriculture. The second is Vega UTM, a next-generation uncrewed traffic management platform that oversees aerial activity over any airspace, supplying the infrastructure authorities need to enable integrated aviation. (https://www.highlander.io)

Source: Press Release