Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Pentagon Plays Prominent Role in UAS Airspace Entrance
A new RTCA committee will develop standards to support the entry of UAS such as the Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk into the U.S. airspace system. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
A new RTCA committee will develop standards to support the entry of UAS such as the Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk into the U.S. airspace system. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is playing a prominent role in shaping the way unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will be introduced into the National Airspace System. The Pentagon is already represented on federal interagency and government-industry groups that were formed to facilitate UAS integration with other air traffic in unrestricted airspace. With progress toward that goal lagging and the DOD’s need for airspace access building, the department wants to bring to bear its decades of UAS experience to expedite the process.