The air navigation service provider LGS and LMT have recently signed a memorandum on collaboration in research and development projects aiming to foster a controlled and safe use of drones within the Latvian air space.
The memorandum foresees the development of an experimental concept that will distribute and deliver aero navigation data digitally between different systems. LGS possesses information on Latvian air space structure and elements, including information on areas where UAV flights are limited or restricted.
For now, LGS manages the air space data internally. Still, the growing use of UAVs and the need to access the LGS’s data more frequently requires dynamic data management and exchange outside the LGS internal system. The collaboration of LMT and LGS aims to enable easy and convenient access to the data by using M2M technology and simultaneously ensuring the data quality.
We're aware that UAVs are a part of our everyday reality, and their use is growing. That's why LGS wants to develop a solution that will make UAV operations easier and safer to general aviation. I'm satisfied that we share a similar vision with LMT on this topic and have already agreed to develop innovative solutions that will foster the use of UAVs in the future.
says the Chairman of the Board of LGS Dāvids Tauriņš.Development of the 5G network and IoT increases the importance of UAVs outside their traditional scope of use. That's why LMT is investing in building new generation network infrastructure and developing UTM solutions and innovative UAV-related products and services. At LMT, we've already trained more than 100 drone pilots, conducted remote and automated UAV flights, including cross-border flights BVLOS. We're also participating in European R&D projects and we recently signed an agreement of collaboration on drone innovations with the national airline airBaltic. The memorandum with LGS is the next step to strengthen Latvia's position as the perfect location for creating drone innovations with high potential export value.
Reveals the president of LMT, Juris Binde.Additionally, the LGS and LMT memorandum foresees developing a concept for coordinating the UAV flights of emergency service providers within a 5 km radius from the Riga Airport. This development aims to ease using such UAVs close to the airport and potentially replace the need for obtaining specific permissions for their flights. Furthermore, a new technical solution will be developed to allow the LGS air space dispatchers to manage ongoing UAV flights and communicate with the drone pilots.