Regulatory Alert: FAA Publishes Solicitation for Airports Interested in Hosting the UAS Detection and Mitigation Research Program
September 4, 2020
This afternoon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a solicitation for airport operators that are interested in hosting the agency's "Airport UAS Detection and Mitigation Research Program." Under the program, FAA plans to evaluate at least ten unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detection and/or mitigation systems at Atlantic City International Airport beginning later this year and at four other airports as early as January 2021. The purpose of the solicitation is to select four eligible airport operators to host these FAA testing and evaluation activities based on the criteria outlined in the document. Interested airport operators must submit their response to the solicitation no later than 5 p.m. EST on October 22, 2020. A public announcement from FAA is expected on September 8.
This afternoon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a solicitation for airport operators that are interested in hosting the agency's "Airport UAS Detection and Mitigation Research Program." Under the program, FAA plans to evaluate at least ten unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detection and/or mitigation systems at Atlantic City International Airport beginning later this year and at four other airports as early as January 2021. The purpose of the solicitation is to select four eligible airport operators to host these FAA testing and evaluation activities based on the criteria outlined in the document. Interested airport operators must submit their response to the solicitation no later than 5 p.m. EST on October 22, 2020. A public announcement from FAA is expected on September 8.
Background. Section 383 of the 2018 FAA reauthorization bill requires FAA to test and evaluate UAS detection and mitigation technologies that detect and mitigate potential risks posed by UAS. FAA is specifically required to carry out this research at five different airports and must also work with other federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, to ensure that these systems do not adversely impact or interfere with airport operations or other air navigational facilities in the national airspace. This research program is a key step is developing standards to guide which systems can be approved by FAA for safe use in an airport environment. The first airport, Atlantic City International Airport, has already been selected because it is collocated with the FAA's Technical Center.
What Interested Airports Should Know. Any airport interested in hosting FAA testing of UAS detection and mitigation systems will have to respond to the items listed in FAA's solicitation to airport operators. Below are highlights and a brief overview of key information from the document.
- Eligible Airports. Of the four airports that will participate in the program, one must rank in the top 10 of FAA's most recent Passenger Boarding Data. Each airport selected must have at least 2,300 acres of airport-owned or leased property available for use as a test area to install technologies/systems. Selected airports must also be willing to host the testing for a period of up to 2 years, starting in 2021 and ending no later than spring 2023.
- Factors for Selecting Airports. FAA indicated that it will be considering a variety of factors when selecting the four airports and will be looking for the following differentiators to ensure a robust research environment:
- A diverse sample of geographical locations providing comparative variability;
- Air traffic operations volume and complexity;
- Ability of FAA to ensure that the systems/technologies to be tested and evaluated do not adversely impact or interfere with safe airport operations, navigation, air traffic services, or the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system (NAS);
- Airfield, airport and airspace infrastructures (e.g. airfield construction);
- Diverse sample of environmental factors providing comparative variability (e.g. weather, climate, atmospheric conditions, visual noise such as birds, airborne particulates, precipitation);
- FAA air traffic operational resources available to support testing activities;
- Assessment of various spectrum-engineering conflicts that could affect NAS systems;
- Operational and logistical resources to support testing activities;
- Suitability for FAA UAS operations for testing (e.g. launch and recovery capability); and
- Community, society, airport stakeholders and population density considerations.
- FAA's Technical Screening. Interested airports will need to respond to FAA's Technical Screening, which contains two sections and is included as an appendix to the solicitation. Section 1A contains information about airport eligibility; FAA requirements that the airport operator must be willing to meet; and questions related to general airport characteristics, UAS activity, airport operations, security, military presence, critical infrastructure, and proximity to large public venues. Section 1B is optional but provides an opportunity for airports to submit a narrative or additional information on why it would be an ideal host for the testing.
- Stipend for Selected Airports. Each of the four airports participating in the program will be provided with a stipend of $100,000 to offset the cost of their involvement and expenses incurred. $50,000 will be made available at the beginning, with another $50,000 after successful completion of twelve months of testing.
- Systems to Be Tested. FAA intends to evaluate at least ten systems that have the ability to detect and/or mitigate UAS in an airport environment. Mitigation testing will occur, either as a standalone system or in conjunction with detection capabilities. The selected manufacturer or vendor will be responsible for supplying and installing the system at each host airport.
- Where Systems Will Be Tested. Each system selected will be evaluated at Atlantic City International Airport at the Technical Center and then at one additional airport. Each system must meet certain performance criteria before being permitted to "graduate" and be installed at an additional airport. FAA did leave open the possibility that a system could be installed at more than one airport aside from Atlantic City International.
- FAA Will Conduct Testing. FAA notes that neither the system manufacturer/vendor nor the host airport operator will be permitted to operate the system during the testing and evaluation. However, the manufacturer/vendor will be required to train FAA personnel on how to properly operate and troubleshoot the system.
- Focus Areas for Testing. FAA plans to compare baseline performance data collected from tests at Atlantic City International with data collected from the additional four airports to determine whether and to what extent other airport variables impact the performance of these systems, such as geography, noise, interference, proximity to metropolitan areas, and airport infrastructure. FAA indicated that the testing will focus on ensuring that the UAS detection and/or mitigation system can protect the airport's air operations area (AOA), along with the general goal of reaching approximately 5 miles out from the center point of the AOA. The agency will determine UAS detection ranges from the center of the airfield for each system.
- Testing Timeline. FAA estimates the testing at Atlantic City International will last about three to four months. Testing at the one additional airport will occur for approximately 14 months, which will include site surveys, safety risk management panel support, installation, training, testing and evaluation, and removal. However, FAA also indicated that the total estimated period of time that an airport operator could be involved in the test and evaluation activities may be up to 24 months.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Justin Barkowski at justin.barkowski@aaae.org.
