PRESENTATION ON BAF/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTSAFETY ISSUES BY - - PDF document

PRESENTATION ON BAF/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTSAFETY ISSUES BY DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT SAFETY 38TH COMMAND SAFETY CONFERENCE Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, Chief of the Air Staff, Chair of the conference, PSOs, Chairman Civil Av Auth and distinguished guests present, Assalamualaikum, and a shiny, beautiful noon to all of you. On behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, let me extend you all warm and a hearty welcome in session-2 of the Command Safety Conference -

• 2015. Learned audience !

Neither, I am an expert, nor an academician of the subject I would speak on today, but I thought: let me tickle the inquisitive minds and souls present here, so that they continue thinking what can we do best to address the issue tomorrow. Therefore, my presentation is focused on bundle of information gathered, and I would badly need your kind ears and eyes to look and make it good. Let me begin with a confessional statement. "Advent of air power and its exploitation is a major claimant of spinning the globalization effect, in terms of speed, reach and thoughts, must we all agree upon." Supporting this my mention goes - while we notice the global growth rate as recorded today is slightly above 1%, whereas, alone the global aviation growth rate for last 10 yrs is 6% and above. But this particular domain is technology sensitive. As a result, smart one's always take the lion share from it. At the beginning of last century, developed countries believing might is right -invested heavily on aviation and purposefully kept its focus on military use and took all out advantage from it. While globalization effect pushing behind conflict culture from the social matrix, it is again prominent today that developed world is shifting their attention on its use; and now putting focus on both civil and military area of exploitation of air power to enjoy competitive advantage over others. Unless we note this shift and adjust accordingly, country like

• urs will remain deprived off from its due share.

With this prelude, let me honor the enlighten house for about 30 minutes talk on "Contemporary thoughts and state of 'UAV' and ongoing global debate on its prospect". Let us recapitulate together what UAVs are and a few historical events on it, in brief. Definition An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone and referred to as a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by on board computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. The typical launch and recovery method of an unmanned aircraft is by the function of an automatic system or an external operator on the ground. Historically, UAVs were simple remotely piloted aircraft, but autonomous control is increasingly being employed today on its use in multidimensional functions. They are usually deployed for military and special operation applications, but also used in a small but growing number of civil applications, such as policing and fire fighting, and non military security work, such as surveillance of pipelines. UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too "dull, dirty or dangerous for manned aircraft". Evolving background of UAVs Ladies and Gentleman, the idea of a pilotless aircraft is not a new concept. The concept of drones dates back to the mid-1800s, when Austrians sent off unmanned, bomb-filled balloons as a way to attack

• Venice. The drone we see today started innovation in the early 1900s, and was originally used for target

practice to train military personnel. It continued to be developed during World War I, when the Dayton- Wright Airplane Company came up with the pilotless aerial torpedo that would drop and explode at a particular, preset time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/unmanned_aerial_vehicle - cite_note-4 . A number

• f remote-controlled airplane advanced in post WW-I era. More technology rush occurred during WW-II;

they were then used both to train antiaircraft gunners and to fly attack missions. Nazi Germany also produced and used various UAVs during the course of WW-II. Jet engines were applied after World War

• II. In such types as Fire bee I of 1951, Model 1001 of Beech craft coy supplied UAV for U S Navy in
• 1955. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle-cite_note-autogenerated1-5Nevertheless,

they were all little more than remote-controlled airplanes until the Vietnam Era. Historical events involving UAVs  In 1981, the Israeli IAI Scout drone was operated in combat missions by South Africa against Angola during Operation Protea.  In 1982, Israeli Air Force operated UAVs during Operation Mole Cricket 19, where both IAI Scout and Tadiran Mastiff were used to identify SAM sites and confuse Syrian radars.  In Persian Gulf War, Iraqi Army surrendered to the UAVs of USS Wisconsin.  In October 2002, a few days before the U.S. Senate vote on the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution, about 75 senators were told in closed session that Saddam Hussein had the means of delivering biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction by UAVs that could be launched from ships off the Atlantic coast to attack US eastern seaboard cities. Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations suggested that they had been transported out of Iraq and could be launched against US It was later revealed that Iraq's UAV fleet consisted of only a few outdated Czech training drones. At the time, there was a vigorous dispute within the intelligence community as to whether CIA's conclusions about Iraqi UAVs were accurate. The USAF, the agency most familiar with UAVs, denied outright that Iraq possessed any offensive UAV capability.  The first US targeted UAV killing outside the conventional battlefield took place on 3 November 2002, in the Marib district of Yemen. Six alleged terrorists were killed in their SUV by a UAV-fired

• missile. The command centre was in Tampa, Florida, USA.

 In December 2002, the first ever dogfight involving a UAV occurred when an Iraqi MiG-25 and a USRQ-1 Predator fired missiles at each other. The MiG's missile destroyed the Predator.  In December 2011, Iran captured a United States' RQ-170 unmanned aerial vehicle that flew over Iran and rejected President Barack Obama's request to return it to the US. Iranian officials claim to have recovered data from the U.S. surveillance aircraft.  In December 2013, The US Navy has successfully launched an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) from a submerged submarine, the first step to "providing mission intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the US Navy's submarine force. The birth of US UAVs (called RPVs at the time) began in 1959 when USAF officers, concerned about losing pilots over hostile territory, began planning for its use. This plan became intensified when the "secret" U-2s were shot down by USSR in 1960. Within days, the highly classified UAV program was launched under the code name of "Red Wagon". In August 1964, clash in the Tonkin Gulf between naval units of US and North Vietnam Navy initiated America's highly classified UAVs into first combat missions. When the "Red Chinese showed photographs of a downed UAV, the official US response was "no comment". Domains of use of UAVs in US There are two prominent UAV programs within the United States: military and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The military's UAV program is overt, meaning that the public is aware who is operating

and its purpose. But the CIA's program is clandestine. Missions performed by the CIA's UAV program are not known to rest of the world. Only on 26 February 1973, during testimony before the United States House Committee on Appropriations, the U.S. military officially confirmed that they had been utilizing UAVs in Southeast Asia (Vietnam). And over 5,000 US airmen had been killed and over 1,000 more were either missing in action (MIA) or captured as POWs. The USAF 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing had flown approximately 3,435 UAV missions during the war http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle - cite_note- 16 at a cost of about 554 UAVs lost to all causes. In the words of USAF GeneralGeorge S. Brown, Commander, Air Force Systems Command, in 1972, "The only reason we need (UAVs) is that we don't want to needlessly expend the man in the cockpit." Later that same year, General John C. Meyer, Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command, stated, "we let the drone do the high-risk flying ... the loss rate is high, but we are willing to risk more of them ... they save lives!" Uses other than military purpose Beyond the military applications of UAVs with which "drones" became most associated, numerous civil aviation uses have also been developed. These includes aerial surveying of crops, acrobatic aerial footage in filmmaking, search and rescue operations, inspecting power lines and pipelines, and counting wildlife, delivering medical supplies to remote or otherwise inaccessible regions. Civil manufacturers are rebranding the technology as "unmanned aerial systems" (UASs) in preference over drones. Drone applications range from military to civilian and include areas: Remote sensing: UAV remote sensing functions include electromagnetic spectrum sensors, gamma ray sensors, biological sensors, and chemical sensors. A UAV's electromagnetic sensors typically include visual spectrum, infrared, or near infrared cameras as well as radar systems. Biological and Chemical sensors are capable of detecting the airborne presence of various microorganism elements in the air. Commercial aerial surveillance: Aerial surveillance of large areas is made possible with low cost UAV

• systems. Surveillance applications include livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home

security, road patrol, and anti-piracy. The trend for the use of UAV technology in commercial aerial surveillance is expanding rapidly with increased development of automated object detection approaches. Domestic policing: UAVs are increasingly used for domestic police work in Canada and the United

• States. First drone-assisted arrest of an American is on 28 January 2014. A North Dakota cattle rancher

was sentenced to three years in prison for terrorizing police officers who were trying to arrest him at his property in 2011. Oil, gas and mineral exploration and production: UAVs are performing geophysical surveys, in particular geomagnetic surveys where the processed measurements of the Earth's differential magnetic field strength are used to calculate the nature of the underlying magnetic rock structure. Knowledge of the underlying rock structure helps to predict the location of mineral deposits. Disaster relief: UAVs transport medicines and vaccines, and retrieve medical samples, into and out of remote or otherwise inaccessible regions. Drones are helping in disaster relief by gathering information from across an affected area. It is also helping in building a picture of the situation and giving recommendations for how people should direct their resources to mitigate damage and save lives. Search and Rescue: UAVs now playing an increased role in search and rescue in the United States. This was demonstrated during hurricane struck in Louisiana and Texas in 2008. Micro UAVs, such as the Aeryon Scout, have been used to perform Search and Rescue activities on a smaller scale, such as the

search for missing persons. For example, Predators, operating between 18,000-29,000 feet above sea level, performs search and rescue and damage assessment. Forest fire detection: Another application of UAVs is the prevention and early detection of forest fires. The capability of constant flight, both day and night, makes it use cost effective than helicopters, watch towers etc. And needless to mention in this forum - we all are aware of the fact about the random use of UAVs today for motion picture filmmaking and in different kind of sports. We also know the explosive growth of crowd funding sites like Kick starter has caused headaches for legislators in U S. UAV technology has advanced too quickly into the life of U S. Future trends As of 2008, the United States Air Force employed 5,331 UAVs, which is twice its number of manned

• planes. Out of these, the Predators are the most commendable. Unlike other UAVs, the Predator was

armed with Hellfire missiles so that it can terminate the target that it locates. This was done after Predators sighted Osama Bin Laden multiple times but could not do anything about it other than send back images. The Predators today is capable of orchestrating attacks by pointing lasers at the targets. Their overall success is remarkable as because from June 2005 to June 2006 alone, Predators carried out 2,073 missions and participated in 242 separate raids. In contrast to the Predator, Global Hawk remotely piloted via satellites by pilots located 7,500 miles away virtually operates autonomously. The user merely hits the button for 'take off' and for 'land', while the UAV gets directions via GPS and reports back with a live feed. Global Hawks have the capability to fly from San Francisco and map out the entire state of Maine before having to return. In addition, some UAVs have become so small that they can be launched from one's hand and maneuvered through the

• street. These UAVs, known as Ravens, are used in urban areas of Iraq, in order to discover insurgents

and potential ambushes. These useful UAVs can fly for days at a time and insurgents are now forced to stay in the open for not more than a few minutes. It has been revealed that the current model of UAVs is less effective in a contested environment. As a result, a 2012 Congressional Research Service(CRS) report indicated that in the future, UAVs may be able to perform a variety of tasks beyond their present roles in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strikes; the CRS report listed resupply, combat search and rescue, aerial refuelling, and air to air combat ("a more difficult future task") as future undertakings. And USAF today has a pool

• f RPV pilots which would be of the strength of 1500 officers by 2018 as a road map plan. This

strength is equivalent to 22-25 operational Wings combat capacity as per USAF standard. In the private sector, initial attempts at commercial use of UAVs, such as the Taco copter company for the food delivery, were blocked by FAA regulation. Amazon.com in December 2013 announced that it is planning rapid delivery of lightweight commercial products using UAVs was met with skepticism, with perceived obstacles including federal and state regulatory approval, public safety, reliability, individual privacy, operator training and certification, security, payload thievery, and logistical challenges. In July 2014 it is revealed that Amazon was working on its 8th and 9th drone prototypes, some that could fly 50 miles an hour and carry 5-pound packages, and had applied to the FAA to test them. Some universities in U S today offer UAS research and training programs for academic degrees. While the US Navy UAV programs has increased its budget from 0% to 5% and the USAF UAV programs have increased it from 60% to 284%.

Regulatory development and support on UAV program in US In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted the name unmanned aircraft (UA) to describe aircraft systems without a flight crew on board. More common names include UAV, drone, remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), and remotely operated aircraft (ROA). As of August 2013, commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) licenses were granted on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the FAA. FAA regulation covers the term unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and emphasizes the system for certification of UAV on importance of the following elements:  Unmanned aircraft (UA).  Control system, such as Ground Control Station (GCS).  Control link, a specialized data link.  And other related support equipment. In accordance with FAA Requirements, the FAA authorizes UAS operations by three means: (a) Certificate of Authorization (for public entity operators); (b) Special Authorization Certificate in the Experimental Category (for civil operators); and (c) under the auspices of Advisory Circular 91-57 for Recreational Hobbyists (applying to modelers only (excluding commercial operations). The COA allows an operator to use a defined block of airspace and includes special provisions unique to the proposed operation. For instance, a COA may require flying only under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and/or only during daylight hours. COAs usually are issued for a specific period-up to two years in many cases. Safety is the FAA's top mission, and the agency maintains the world's safest aviation system. As a provider of air traffic control services, the FAA also must ensure the safety and efficiency of the nation's entire airspace. Routine operation of UAS over densely-populated areas is prohibited. Brief state of UAVs in rest world Australia SydneyHarborBridge collision: On 2 October 2013, a UAV collided with Sydney Harbor Bridge. The craft, which carried a camera, was found about 10m near a southern pylon of the bridge on a rail line. Although it was found the day before the International Navy Fleet Review, police believed there was no connection with the event. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority started an investigation and anti-terrorism

• fficers were alerted, though police said they didn't believe it was suspicious and was for recreational
• use. The craft turned out to belong to Edward Prescott, a support crew for the Australian tour of Rihanna.

Democratic Republic of Congo A UAV in Goma as part of MONUSCO peacekeeping mission, in August 2013, the Italian defense company Selex ES provided an unarmed surveillance drone to be deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to monitor movements of armed groups in the region and to protect the civilian population more effectively. Germany

The Deutsche Bahn (German national railways) said in 2013 that it would test small surveillance UAVs with thermal cameras to prosecute vandals who spray graffiti on its property at night. Graffiti incidents cost the Deutsche Bahn $10 million per year to clean up. India On 11 May 2014 Francescos' Pizza of Mumbai made a test delivery from a branch in Lower Parel to the roof of a building in Worli. Police in Mumbai began an investigation on the grounds that security clearances had not been sought. Many police departments have procured drones for law and order and aerial surveillance even though the DGCA has no guidelines on operation of drones in India. Nepal In 2012, the World Wildlife Fund supplied two FPV Raptor 1.6 UAVs to the Nepal National Parks. These UAVs are used to monitor rhino's tigers and elephants and deter poachers. The UAVs are equipped with time lapse cameras and can fly for 18 miles at 650 feet. Russia The Tu-141 "Swift" reusable Soviet operational and tactical reconnaissance drone is intended for reconnaissance to a depth of several hundred kilometers from the front line at supersonic speeds. The Tu-123 "Hawk" is a supersonic long-range reconnaissance drone (UAV) intended for conducting photographic and signals intelligence to a distance of 3200 km. There are 43 known Soviet UAV models in operation in diversified field. United Kingdom In 2007, Merseyside Police was reported to be conducting tests with a UAV. Merseyside Police caught a car thief with a UAV in 2010, but about a week later had to stop UAV operations as the UAV was not

• licensed. Regulations introduced at the start of 2010 required any aerial surveillance by unmanned

aircraft - no matter the size of the drone - to be licensed. A license is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in UK. Debate around the world & Public opinion on UAV developments In February 2013, Farleigh Dickinson University's Public Mind poll found that 48% of American voters believe it is "illegal for the U S government to target its own citizens living abroad with drone attacks. Just 24% say that it's legal. In the same poll, however, by a wide six-to-one margin (75% vs 13%), voters approved of the US military using UAVs to carry out attacks abroad "on people and other targets deemed a threat to the US" Voters also approve of the CIA using UAVs to carry out attacks abroad by a strong three-to-one margin (65% vs 21%), but this approval is significantly less than approval for the military attacks. Despite this broad-based public support, there are a number of vocal critics of the increasing use of UAVs to track and kill terrorists and militants. A major criticism of drone strikes is that they result in excessive collateral damage. The New York Times report that "according to Pakistani sources, they have also killed some 700 civilians. This is 50 civilians for every militant killed a hit rate of 2 percent. Now, other burning comments and debate rose in seminar/symposium/discussions and queries and worries on UAV:

Unmanned aerial vehicles are part of the technological landscape. It's no longer remarkable to think of a robotic aircraft carrying out routine surveillance operations or even armed missions, although the latter remains controversial. But use of autonomous or remotely-piloted aircraft is, at the moment, confined to the military. Manufacturers and developers would like to be able to develop UAVs - more properly, UASs

• r unmanned aircraft systems, as the vehicle itself is only a part of the operation - for civilian duties.

Alan Brooke: Technical lead on UAS, Home Office U K This isn't the only barrier to expanded development of UAVs. The market for unmanned aircraft outside the armed forces is uncertain. Surveillance systems of all types are controversial and unpopular with the public, with sections of the press rarely missing an opportunity to run alarmist stories about 'snoops' and 'spies'. There are undeniable safety concerns about how unmanned vehicles would operate in crowded

• airspace. Moreover, the most heavily publicized use of UAVs - as armed 'drones' carrying out missile

strikes in war zones, sometimes with dreadful collateral casualties - is likely to foment even more uneasiness and opposition. Ralph Coleman: sales director, Blue Sky International said: From the point of view of the Civil Aviation Authority, there actually is no distinction between different types of airspace. 'All airspace in the UK is civil,' said Gerry Corbett, the CAA's flight standards officer for UASs, at a recent roundtable discussion on civil UAVs, organized in association with BAE Systems. 'The regulations governing flight have evolved over the past 120 years, and it's a case of UAVs adapting to the regulations, rather than there being any need for new regulations. What's important is that they have to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to manned aircraft, and that presents a series of challenges.' Simon Jewell, Chair, ASTRAEA, BAE Systems said: There are also challenges when the aircraft is out of the line-of-sight of its operator - how to replace the eyes of the pilot to avoid collisions with other aircraft, birds or tall buildings in an urban environment. 'For manned aircraft, you have a window and a pilot, and although in a commercial passenger aircraft the pilot might not need to put his or her hands on the controls or look out of the window between take-

• ff and landing, they can still see their surroundings. In the case of a UAV where you're taking the pilot
• ut of the aircraft, there has to be some assurance that there is still an awareness of the surroundings.'

Robert Whitehouse: Business development manager, UAS, Roke Manor Research said: The role of the pilot, or commander, or whatever the person overseeing the aircraft is called, is already covered by the existing regulations and the concept of equivalence, said Corbett. Although there are differences in how control is exercised, 'the aircraft is still piloted, whether it's by waggling a stick or using point-and-click with a mouse and on-screen interface. The elements of "airmanship" have to be exactly the same as any other pilot occupying the same piece of airspace, because they will have to cope with the same conditions. Their training might be different, but the end result has to be the same.' However, the technology isn't starting from scratch, pointed out by Jeremy Howitt, head of UAS strategy and future business at Qinetiq. 'There are lots of similarities between manned and unmanned aircraft; there's 80-90 percent equivalence in terms of airworthiness already.' That, he added, is why many in the industry believe that it will only take ten years or less to evolve and develop the appropriate regulatory landscape for civil UAVs.

My dear audience present, debate is natural. My saying is- we have to bear in mind that we're in the very early days of this technology. The discussions we're having now are very similar to those that accompanied the introduction of the motor car at the beginning of the 20th century.' In Summary, it is evident that development and the use of UAVs in wide spectrum of needs is an inevitable fact. Question is how well we all together can help the unnatural growth of this industry without causing public safety hazard. At the moment world UAV association is concentrating and focusing on the following four themes for its development and setting up operational strategy concerning UAV issues: Regulation In the emerging UAS industry, developers face major challenges in meeting regulatory standards, especially with regards to airspace access and control. UAVS is ideally positioned to be the UAS industry's key point of contact with government and regulators. The world UAV association is working hard and continuously engaging with different governments to gain recognition as a key player in coordinating proposals as civil regulatory bodies on UAV development and ensure its commercial prospect. Certification UAVs have become a conduit for agreeing certification requirements with government and the CAA. The certification requirement are being informed time to time by the CAA's DAP UAV Steering Group and they also disseminate new requirements, if there are any, to suit safety requirements aligned with governmental need. This allows UAVS members to keep up to date with airworthiness certification and insurance issues, ensuring that development of systems is not compromised by these potential pitfalls. Training UAVS has also recognized the need to understand and develop UAS operator training procedures that will work in unison with regulatory and certification issues. UAVS anticipated the trend within regulatory circles towards the need for a qualification process for UAS operators. The Association has endorsed the need for appropriate training for safe operation of UAVs and is pursuing initiatives to establish accredited UAS training centers with clear guidelines as to the level of qualification for UAV commanders and pilots. Operations UAVS understands that while military operations continue to dominate current UAS applications the future will see increasing use of UAVs in semipublic and civil roles. It is important for the growth of the industry that paths to the civil market are opened as early as possible and UAVS takes very seriously the challenges of operating UAVs in the civil environment. As a result, the Association is taking a progressive and pro-active role in promoting the civil use of UAVs in key civil markets, such as agriculture and maritime search and rescue. UAVS is working to ensure that potential civil users are kept aware of key developments in both regulation and technology while exploring how best to secure regular operation of UAVs in civil airspace. Before I signoff, let me remind you all- aviation is truly technology dependent and knowledge is the only means to keep its pace. This was first captured and comprehended by USAF; and they opened the famous RAND University to take the lead, we all know. Both BAF &CAAB capacity wise structurally unable to provide necessary knowledge cover on aviation management and its development required to keep the pace with the competitors. Therefore, I personally feel, although late but we badly need an Air University to meet this huge short fall and address the development issues timely and support the aspiration of the

deprived 160 millions. This informative progress lecture on UAV in contemporary world may be a note of concern for both BAF and CAAB in regards to necessary regulatory preparation on the issue concern, and University issue could be an immediate attempt. Allah Hafez. and thank you so very much for a patient hearing.