Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Could Patrol Europe’s Borders
EU’s Frontex agency thinks RPVs would be ideal to police borders, once airspace rules are in place.
The European agency tasked with keeping watch over the EU’s external borders, Frontex, is enthusiastic about adopting remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to help them in that job. But significant challenges–some technical but the majority legal–mean that unmanned aircraft are unlikely to be deployed to help defend EU borders in the near future.
Speaking at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s conference, RPAS Today: Opportunities and Challenges, which took place in London last month, Zdravko Kolev, research officer for aerial, ground and sea surveillance sensors and platforms at Frontex, described the EU agency’s long-standing interest in RPAS, and outlined the obstacles currently preventing adoption of the technology.
