SN06493.pdf — page 27

27 Overview of military drones used by the UK armed forces 
improved regulatory regime which is proportional and effective because 
it recognises the broad range of RPAS types and the appropriate level of 
regulation for each of them.”106  
All Military Aviation Authority Regulations can be found on the gov.uk 
website. The regulation covering the categorisation of RPAS and the 
specific regulations to assure their safe operation is: Regulatory Article 
(RA) 1600: remotely piloted air systems (RPAS).  
Segregated airspace 
Remotely piloted aircraft are only permitted to operate in UK airspace if 
it is considered safe for them do so. The main requirement for aircraft 
operating beyond line of sight107 is to be able to avoid collisions. This 
requires an aircraft to be fitted with a detect/sense and avoid system or 
operate in segregated airspace. These terms are defined by the Civil 
Aviation Authority: 
Sense-and-Avoid is a generic term used to describe a system 
involving one or more sensors, which has the capability to see, 
sense or detect conflicting traffic or other hazards and take the 
appropriate action to comply with the applicable rules. In this 
way, the system acts as a substitute for See-and-Avoid in manned 
aircraft. 
Segregated Airspace, as the name suggests, is a block of 
airspace specifically allocated for an unmanned aircraft's flight. 
Collision risks are eliminated by either preventing or strictly 
controlling entry to this airspace by other aircraft.108 
In 2013 the Government said its intention was to work towards the full 
and safe integration of remotely piloted aircraft into the total aviation 
system so that they share the same airspace as their manned 
counterparts. This was articulated by Transport Minister Earl Atlee in 
2013. However he noted there are a “number of significant technical 
challenges to be overcome” before this can be achieved. These primarily 
concern the airworthiness of the RPA and that it can avoid collisions.109  
The Ministry of Defence is working with other departments and 
authorities on a cross-Government initiative to “determine the feasibility 
of operating both civilian and military remotely piloted aircraft systems 
beyond line-of-sight and in un-segregated airspace” the Government 
said in February 2015.110 
In the UK the Ministry of Defence operates unmanned aircraft systems 
(UAS) in danger areas or segregated airspace.111 A danger area is 
defined as “airspace which has been notified as such within which 
                                                                                             
106  “New regulations for Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) go live”, Ministry of 
Defence, 19 January 2015 
107  Beyond line of sight operations describes operations in which the operator cannot 
directly see the unmanned aircraft and avoid other aircraft or objects. For flights 
within the visual line of sight, the pilot is expected to exercise the see and avoid 
principle: Civil Aviation Authority. 
108  Civil Aviation Authority website, accessed 5 December 2012; Defence Committee, 
Remote Control: Remotely Piloted Air Systems – current and future UK use, 25 
March 2014, HC 772 2013-14, Ev 1 
109  HL Deb 25 June 2013 c725 
110  PQ 222430, 4 February 2015 
111  HC Deb 16 December 2013 c482W