Pilot Programs for Testing and Demonstrating Drone Technologies in Managed Airspace (UTM) – Call for Proposals

Participating Agencies

Summary

International companies wishing to participate without Israel Innovation Authority’s grant can continue submitting their application to Ayalon Highways for future demonstration (June 20th, October 3rd, and in every quarter of 2021 and 2022).

A request to join the demonstration must be submitted 50 days prior to the demonstration itself. 

Details regarding the submission of such proposals can be obtained by emailing Ms. Reut Borochov, Technologies Program Manager at the Technology and Innovation Division, Ayalon Highways Ltd., at reutb@ayalonhw.co.il

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Israel’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), Ayalon Highways Co LTD, the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), C4IR Israel at the Israel Innovation Authority and the Fuel Choices and Smart Mobility Initiative collaborate on a program that is intended for Israeli technology companies in the fields of drone operation, drone control and monitoring, as well as technologies designed to locate and manage drone networks intended for operation in urban environment. The programs must promote or provide an infrastructure for implementation and application of innovative technologies for the operation of different types of drones as well as different “Air operator companies ” in crowded urban quarters. 

Relevant Technologies

Drones, UTM, Air mobility, Aerospace

Program Description

The program is calling for applications to pilot and demonstrate (TRL 7-8) drone technologies in Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM). Within the framework of this Call, selected programs will demonstrate the operation of various drones for streamlining and improving the transportation situation in Israel, as well as advance the knowledge-intensive Israeli industry. 

The program’s goals are to support:

• Testing and operational demonstration of heterogeneous drone networks that coexist in crowded urban quarters.
• Development and implementation of innovative technologies and operational concepts for the promotion and creation of air mobility networks using drones, which will improve the transportation situation and advance the knowledge-intensive Israeli industry.
• Streamlining and improving transportation in Israel and around the world.
• Creation and growth of entire sustainable companies in Israel by means of promoting innovative technological solutions.
   

 For more information in Hebrew, click here

 For the English speaking webinar with more information about the project timeline, application and general question, click here

Criteria

One of the criteria in selecting programs will be the expected impact the program will have on streamlining and improving transportation in Israel, and in particular on decreasing congestion, reducing road accidents and decreasing the use of petroleum for transportation. The impact of the program will be examined, among other things, in accordance with its ability of provide:

• Contribution to the principles of coexistence of multiple drones in crowded urban quarters.
• Ability to move commercial cargo – efficiently and in a short time (maximum utilization of the airspace).
• Transportation solutions without physical human contact at a time of social distancing.
• Application based on international standards that are widely used in the US or in Europe (U-SPACE / UTM).
• Development of above-people flight capabilities and BVLOS flight capabilities (including addressing the GNSS disruptions issue).
• Specifically for participants engaged in command and control:
  • Ability to monitor the activity of all drones in the airspace – in particular: Drones from different companies that are part of the program.
  • Drones that are not part of the program.
  • Issuing alerts on “possible violations of safety margins” – i.e. deconfliction will be an advantage.
  • Locating cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft at the “very low level VLL” airspace – an advantage

Preconditions:

• Israeli company with licensed technology by the Civil Aviation of Israel (CAAI).
• International companies should partner with local Israeli partner or apply for CAAI license to deploy their technology in Israel.
   

Application Process

General requirements:

• For the purpose of carrying out the pilot, between March 21st, 2021 and April 1st, 2021 (exact location will to be determine) the Na’ama Initiative administration will host live technological demonstration in the testing/playground sites in which the companies will be able to work together in a common airspace and carry out various scenarios that will simulate, as much as possible, the descriptions of expected activities for future routine and emergency operations.
• The program is intended to demonstrate the pre-product capabilities at a high level of maturity TRL7-8 and without R&D content.
• In accordance with section 17 of the Program’s instructions – all winners and participants in the program will ensure that all contents will be defined as must be recorded (“black box” in the aircraft and/or in the “ground stations”). In accordance with section 18 of the Programs, the Innovation Authority may share the recorded information with government agencies for the benefit of regulatory development, investigation of accidents and safety incidents, as well as the advancement of the drone / UAV field in general

Assessment of regulatory viability will be carried out, inter alia, on the basis of:

• Appropriate Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) approvals:
  • AOC (Air Operator Certificate)
  • CofA (Certificate of Airworthiness)  -Either “Special CofA – Experimental” used only for development, testing and demonstration, or “Special Continuous UAS Flight Permit” for commercial operations).
  • Personal license(s) – UAV flying permit corresponding to the aircraft category being flown and as required in the system CofA.
  • Third party insurance approved by CAAI.
• Sharing of information with the ATC units (IAF Area ATC units / ACC and Ben Gurion Airport).
• Ability to intervene and carry out instructions of the ATC units.
• Sharing information with other companies that will participate in the demonstrations.
• Communication beyond visual line of sight based on LTE cellular networks:
  • Preference will be given to solutions with 5G capabilities that will be added to demonstrations as the deployment progresses across Israel.
• Operation of Remote Identification.
• Operation:
  • Each aircraft will be identified in accordance with the standard or in accordance with the documents of the Ayalon Highways (Air C&C – Smart Airspace documents) – all drones that will participate in the program must be uniquely identified by standard technological means in order to enable identification and distinction between them for the purposes of command, control and law enforcement. It is required to display the existence and location of all aircrafts in all the required places, including IAF Area ATC units / ACC / Ben Gurion Airport / Homeland Security / Police, etc.
• Furthermore, companies wishing to participate in the pilot without funding – either Israeli or foreign – May offer the Naama project’s steering committee their proposals for participation by submitting a proposals via the operation of the Ayalon Highways’s test center.Details regarding submission of such proposals can be obtained by emailing Ms. Reut Borochov, Technologies Program Manager at the Technology and Innovation Division, Ayalon Highways Ltd. at: reutb@ayalonhw.co.il.
• Following finalization of winning companies, the Project’s steering committee will add to this list the names of the non-funded participants, as long as they state in advance the scope they are willing to commit to for their pilot.

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