Lockheed deploys UTM components

5th August 2015 - 10:30 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Lockheed Martin has deployed the first components of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, it announced on 3 August.

The company has deployed the online Flight Service Pilot Web, which feeds flight plan information to the National Airspace System (NAS) of the US Federal Aviation Administration. UAS operations can report operating areas and access the system through Lockheed Martin's Flight Service Pilot Portal.

The company is developing more UTM capabilities together with industry partners, including the NASA UTM research project. These capabilities include standards-based software interfaces for direct interaction between UTM platforms or UAS ground control stations and Lockheed Martin's UTM system.

Another capability being developed is the monitoring of UAS movements to determine if they stay in their intended operating area and notification of air traffic control if UAS encroach controlled airspace.

The company is also working on capabilities to support beyond line-of-sight operations via ground-based detect-and-avoid capabilities.

Paul Engola, vice president of transportation and financial solutions, Lockheed Martin, said: 'Our objective is an open, standards-based system that individual operators and other private UTM systems can use to interact seamlessly and securely with the NAS.

'We look forward to partnering with UAS operators and manufacturers to help create a system that supports the safe coexistence of manned and unmanned flight.'