Thales Receives First Full Design Verification Report for Medium Risk UAS Operations from EASA

Thales has become the first company to receive a full Design Verification Report (DVR) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for operating light Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in medium risk, Specific Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III conditions.

This has been achieved in partnership with Aeromapper and ONERA. It marks progress toward the certification of the Thales UAS100, a long-range drone that can be used for coastal & border surveillance, law enforcement security, linear infrastructure, windmill, offshore wind turbines and pipeline inspections.

The DVR process, established by EASA in April 2021, ensures safe drone operations by setting rigorous standards. The Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework determines the applicable SAIL and the necessity for a DVR.

The European premiere results from close cooperation with EASA to define and validate compliance with the Light UAS Special Condition. Thales' ScaleFlyt avionics solution, integrated into the AVEM 300 UAV with the CERBERE safety-critical autopilot from Aeromapper, underpins the approved solution. ONERA conducted the safety analysis through the PHYDIAS R&T project, funded by the French Authority DGAC.

Marc Duval-Destin, VP of Strategy, Product Policy, and Innovation for Flight Avionics at Thales, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating, "This premiere paves the way for wider deployment of secure long-range drone operations. The next milestone is achieving DVR SAIL IV for the Thales UAS100, which will benefit defense missions."

The Thales UAS100, secured by ScaleFlyt avionics, is currently undergoing certification steps and flight test campaigns, supported by a cooperation agreement with Centaurium UAS. Centaurium Group's subsidiary plans to provide drone services to Swiss authorities and industry players, further extending the impact of Thales' innovative solutions.