uAvionix to Deliver SkyLine Managed C2 Capability with NMSU at NM UAS Flight Test Site

Date: 04/19/2021

Author: suasnewsContact Dr. M. Shelby

From: sUAS News

Bigfork, Montana – uAvionix Corporation and The New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory (NMSU PSL) today announced a partnership to deploy SkyLine, uAvionix’s Managed Command and Control Platform, to support networked autonomous UAS operations at the NMSU PSL UAS Flight Test Site. The NMSU PSL is home to one of the seven FAA-designated UAS Flight Test Sites and hosts a generous 15,000 square miles of airspace in southwestern New Mexico that permits UAS flights from the surface up to 10,000 MSL and above.

As a part of the partnership, uAvionix will deliver and install SkyLine, its Enterprise Command and Control (C2) infrastructure management service, that was built from the ground up to meet aviation design standards for critical UAS and UAM applications. SkyLine sets a new standard by combining certified hardware and software into services for seamless management of UAS missions and infrastructure. SkyLine’s first deployment and testbed was for VANTIS, North Dakota’s State-wide UAS C2 network.

The NMSU UAS Flight Test Site operates its own UAS fleet ranging from small battery-powered units to complex medium-altitude systems and has a team of pilots, aircrew, engineers, and technicians to advance the research and development of new technology for homeland security, agriculture, defense, science, and supporting standards development for UAS regulators for the integration of unmanned systems into the National Airspace System.

The SkyLine C2 platform consists of scalable and robust Ground Radio hardware communicating with aircraft Airborne Radios (MicroLink) operating from 902-928MHz that are managed by a cloud-based network service layer (SkyLine), which monitors and manages signal strength, roaming/handoffs, and provides centralized control for mission-critical and BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations. For higher-risk operations such as Air Mobility and Critical Infrastructure, uAvionix is developing RTCA DO-362A C-Band GRS and ARS hardware for maximum reliability and protection by operating on a licensed protected spectrum to prevent unwanted and unsafe interference. “Introducing our managed command and control capabilities to the PSL UAS Flight Test Site enables NMSU PSL customers to develop certifiable platforms and safety case approval for BVLOS operations. SkyLine leverages our extensive aviation heritage applied to C2 radios and will enable the NMSU PSL team to monitor and control aircraft location, network health, capacity, and roaming capabilities directly from the SkyLine Service Platform”, said Christian Ramsey, President of uAvionix.

“NMSU is proud to introduce top-of-the-line capabilities to our customers, who increasingly focus on the safe integration of unmanned UAS with manned aviation in BVLOS and mission-critical operations”, Henry Cathey, Director of PSL Aerospace Division and NMSU UAS Test Flight Site. “Utilizing a scalable infrastructure that will make use of RTCA DO-362A standards will enable our customers to build and safely test their capabilities in a certifiable way and will ensure our faculty and trained staff of pilots, aircrew, engineers, and technicians will remain at the front end of technology development”

To follow the New Mexico UAS Test Site’s deployment of SkyLine, follow @uavionix and @PSLNMState on Twitter for updates and the latest flights conducted.

For more information on SkyLine, visit: www.uavionix.com/products/skyline/.

About uAvionix Corporation
uAvionix was founded in 2015 with a mission to bring safety solutions to the unmanned aviation industry to aid in the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). A fundamental principle underlying that mission is to provide solutions where all airspace users share a common situational awareness. We pioneered and now offer low SWaP TSO-certified and uncertified ADS-B and GPS solutions for markets encompassing General Aviation (GA), Airport Surface Vehicles, and UAS. Based in Bigfork, MT and Leesburg, VA, uAvionix consists of an unparalleled engineering and management team with a unique combination of experience within avionics, surveillance, airport services, UAS aircraft development, radio frequency (RF), and semiconductor industries. The entire leadership team consists of pilots of fixed wing, rotary wing, and UAS aircraft. uAvionix is backed by investors at Playground Global and Airbus Ventures.

To learn more about uAvionix manned and unmanned products, please visit: www.uavionix.com