AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Supporting the Australian Unmanned Systems Community through leadership, advocacy, Issue 3, April 2012 Welcome! In this Issue: AUVS-­‐A Maritime Unmanned Systems Conference W rap Up. Page 2 AUVS-­‐A Advocacy Activities Page 3 2011 AUVS-­‐A Annual Page 6 Board Member profile Page 7 Rod Walker Memorial Endowment Fund Update Page 8 UAV Outback Challenge Competition Update Page 8 AUVS-­‐A Member Opportunities Page 9 Heli & UV Paciifc 2012 Page 9 Welcome to 2012 and our third AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Newsletter. A lot has happened since our last newsletter in November. In this issue of the newsletter we will highlight some of the outcomes from one of our more recent conferences and discuss some of the advocacy initiatives we are undertaking. A feature in this issue is a history and summary of the regulatory reform activities underway in A ustralia. We also held our third AGM in December and some of the key messages from our President, Dr KC Wong, are included in this newsletter. Continuing our initiative for our m embers to get to know their Board, this issue features the profile of A UVS-­‐A Board member Mr Phil Swinsberg, as well as updates on membership, upcoming events and initiatives. Remember, we are here to represent you! We are growing steadily and are endeavouring to learn how we can serve our members better. If you are after some information, have some feedback for us or have UVS-­‐related issues you would like to discuss, then don’t hesitate to drop us a line. Contact details are on the last page of this newsletter. We hope you enjoy this issue and like the new format. The Editor AUVS-­‐A is supporting Heli & UV Pacific 2012 AUVS-­‐A is proud to be hosting the Unmanned Vehicles Conference and Exhibit at Heli & UV Pacific 2012. Register now for your chance to win two free tickets to the Gala Dinner. See page 9 for more information. 1 1
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 AUVS-­‐A Maritime Unmanned Systems Conference 2012 (MUSC 2012) The 2012 Maritime Unmanned Systems Conference (MUSC 2012) was held in association with Pacific 2012 at the Sydney Convention th
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Centre on the 30 -­‐31 of January. MUSC 2012 was the first AUVS-­‐
Australia conference dedicated to maritime unmanned systems and their applications in Australia. Conference speakers included presentations from the UVS industry, Government and research organisations. The conference keynote address was provided by Major General (ret.) Michael Kostelnik from US Border Protection & Customs. The speakers provided insight into a diverse range of capabilities, application requirements, research programs and operational experiences across all three UVS maritime domains (airborne, surface vessel and underwater). Don’t forget that ALL AUVS-­‐A members and conference attendees can access copies of the presentations online by logging onto the AUVS-­‐A website: http://www.auvsi.org/Australia/Even
ts/Conferences/2012MUSC/Conferen
cePresentations/ Over 60 people attended MUSC 2012, with many taking the opportunity to also participate in the Pacific 2012 event and the associated industry exhibition. Photos from MUSC 2012 can also be found on the AUVS-­‐A conference webpage. We hope to m ake the AUVS-­‐A MUSC an ongoing event and look forward to an even bigger and better AUVS-­‐A MUSC in 2014. If you attended, please provide feedback on how we can improve your conference experience. MUSC 2012 was made possible by the generous support of the Aerospace Maritime & Defence Foundation of Australia (AMDA), Insitu Pacific Ltd, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics Aeronautical, CSIRO, the A ustralian Federal Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) and the Queensland Government. Pictured TOP LEFT: VADM Peter Jones, Chief Capability Development Group, NAVY, Australia; Peter Smith, VP AUVS-­‐Australia; Phil Swinsburg, Board Member AUVS-­‐Australia. TOP CENTRE: John Porter, Deputy Director of International Strategic Development, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. TOP RIGHT: Walter “Walt” Kreitler, Director, BAMS UAS Business Development, Northrop Grumman Corporation with Peggy MacTavish. RIGHT: AUVS-­‐A President Dr KC Wong giving the welcome address. MUSC 2012 was proudly supported by: 2 1
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 3 AUVS-­‐A Advocacy Activities AUVS-­‐A was created to serve the Unmanned Vehicle Systems Community. One of our primary roles is to represent the needs of the industry in national and international forums. Advocacy Over the last year AUVS-­‐A has been focussing on building up a series of conferences and networking events, not only to m eet the growing information needs of the UVS community but also to create a sustainable financial platform from which to build our growing association. With a sustainable platform established, we will then be able to focus even m ore of our efforts towards meeting the education, networking and advocacy needs of all sectors of the A ustralian UVS community. As members of AUVS-­‐Australia you are encouraged to bring forth messages, concerns and opportunities to AUVS-­‐Australia so that your voice is heard in Canberra. Please contact AUVS-­‐Australia’s Executive Director, Peggy MacTavish to discuss your areas of interest within advocacy. Industry AUVS-­‐Australia has been supported by the Queensland State Government and with our ongoing success in building m embership and conducting events our goal is to seek and secure support across all State governments and Federal departments. Over the last few months AUVS-­‐Australia representatives have met with Peter Hancock, Manager, Defence, Aerospace and Marine Industries, Manufacturing Division of the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education and Mr Andrew Wilson the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Transport in Canberra. The purpose of these meetings was to develop awareness of the UVS Industry and to highlight the contributions that unmanned systems bring to numerous sectors. Both departments were keen to learn more, understand the developing markets and support AUVS-­‐Australia m oving forward. Remote Pilot Qualifications The Transport & Logistics Industry Skills Council of Australia in conjunction with AUVS-­‐Australia representatives, CASA and members from the UAS industry are developing training packages for remote pilots. The qualification covers the role of a Remote Pilot for remotely piloted aircraft operations below 400ft, within visual line of sight, outside of urban areas and outside of controlled airspace. Core units include: communications, safety management, planning and navigation, situational awareness, equipment and systems operation, aircraft operation and air traffic management. A draft of the remote pilot competencies has been released for industry comment and can be viewed online at the TLISCA website: http://tlisc.org.au/training-­‐
packages/aviation-­‐training/aviation-­‐
for-­‐comment/ A Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot) is expected to be a key qualification necessary to obtain a remote pilot’s licence (a review of the advisory m aterial relating to UAS training and licensing is currently underway). AUVS-­‐A members are encouraged to review and comment on the draft qualification. Regulations for UAS There is a lot going on in the Australian civil UAS regulatory space at the m oment. In July 2002, CASA became the first civil aviation safety regulatory authority in the world to enact regulations for UAS. These regulations, which have remained unchanged for nearly a decade, are contained in Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR 1998), Volume 3, Part 101. ALL Civil UAS Operations in Australia are subject to CASR 1998 and in particular, those requirements contained in Part 101… Part 101 was widely considered a very proactive regulation. The 4
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update regulation has enabled the Australian industry to grow to what is today and for the Australian civil UAS industry to be the envy of the UAS community around the world. However, over this period the needs of the industry have grown and changed. CASA’s knowledge and awareness of these needs has also grown, and changes to the regulations and associated guidance material are now underway to ensure the continued consistent safety management and oversight of this dynamic sector of the aviation industry. History of Regulatory Reform Over the years a number of informal stakeholder groups have been formed to push for regulatory reform in Australia. In the late 90’s Dr KC Wong started the UAV Special Interest Group as discussion forum for “all things UAV”. ARCAA hosted industry workshops in 2005 and 2006 to identify and discuss a broad range of technical, operational, commercial and social issues relating to civil UAS. One of the resounding outcomes from these workshops was the need for industry to have a collective voice when it came to regulatory reform and government lobbying. This led to the formation of UAS Australia in 2007. The informal group, which comprised representatives from industry, defence, government, and academia discussed a wide range of regulatory issues, culminating in 2008 with a submission to the National Aviation Policy Green Paper. In 2009 the UAS Australia initiative was absorbed into the Australian Aerospace Industry Forum (AAIF), Certification and Regulation Working Group Unmanned Aircraft Systems Sub-­‐Committee, which was led by Prof. Rodney Walker. Around the same time, AUVS-­‐
Australia was formed and with it all of the necessary components for strong industry advocacy for regulatory reform. It was largely due to the lobbying of these two groups Issue 3, April 2012 4 report, which can be downloaded from the AAIF website (see links), provided recommendations and discussion relating to the: AUVS-­‐A, through the Australian Aerospace Industry Forum, is working closely with CASA to guide regulatory reform for civil UAS in Australia. that new resources were m ade available within CASA to support regulation reform and oversight for the rapidly growing aviation sector. The AAIF UAS Sub-­‐Committee was formed to: •
Provide a forum for industry to raise and discuss UAS regulation issues constraining the development of the UAS sector. •
Engage with CASA, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other organisations such as AUVS-­‐Australia, on key regulatory issues of concern to the industry. •
Provide a cooperative approach to further develop the regulatory system. •
Develop draft policy positions on UAS issues for adoption by the Aerospace Forum. The AAIF UAS Sub-­‐Committee comprises representatives from the UAS industry, Australian Department of Defence, and academia with observers from CASA. AUVS-­‐A became a member of the AAIF in 2009 to represent the perspective of all industry members. Under Prof Walker’s leadership, the AAIF UAS Sub-­‐Committee handed down its first recommendations report to CASA and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. The •
structuring of an airworthiness regulatory framework for UAS. •
Definition of “populous area” •
Operations of small UAS in class G airspace •
Personnel training and licensing The great work of the AAIF Sub-­‐
committee in generating the report was formally recognised in a letter from The Hon Kim Carr, then Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. CASA responded to the AAIF report in 2011, endorsing many of the recommendations that were made and requesting that the AAIF continue its proactive role in assisting CASA with regulatory reform for the industry. The report have played a key role in shaping CASA’s approach towards the regulation of the industry. National Aviation Policy Changes In late 2009 the National Aviation White Paper was released (see links). Due to the earlier industry submissions to the Green Paper, the Aviation White Paper recognised the growing need for regulatory reform for the Australian civil UAS sector. Specifically, the Aviation White Paper stated that: The Government will ensure CASA: enhances oversight of the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); And In accordance with this growth [in the UAS sector], CASA will be enhancing its capacity to regulate this sector, including through the establishment of a ‘future technologies’ area to examine safety trends relevant to new technology. 1
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 5 Useful Links CASA Website for UAS: • http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_100374 CASR 1998 and Guidance Materials for UAS • http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_91039 Project OS 11/20 – Review of Regulations and Guidance Material Relating to UAS • http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA::pc=PC_100532 National Aviation Policy Statement and White Paper: • http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/nap/ Australian Aerospace Industry Forum: • http://www.innovation.gov.au/Industry/Aerospace/Forum/ CASA Standards Consultative Committee • http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_91117 CASA Responds th
On the 25 of July 2011 CASA announced the creation of Project OS 11/20 titled “Review of Regulations and Guidance Material relating to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)”. Project OS 11/20 consists of a number of phases, the first of which relates to the review of current advisory m aterials and minor changes to definitions in the regulations. A UAS Joint CASA/Industry Working Group was established under the CASA Standards Consultative Committee (SCC) in December of 2012 to lead Project OS 11/20. The AAIF UAS Sub-­‐Committee along with individual representatives from the UAS industry, AUVS-­‐A, and other airspace user groups are participating on the CASA SCC Working Group. The SCC Working Group has met twice this year. An extensive review of the draft advisory m aterials was undertaken and CASA are currently responding to the comments and issues identified. CASA expects drafts of the advisory materials (AC 101-­‐1 General, AC 101-­‐
4 Training and Licensing, and AC 101-­‐
5 Operations) will be ready for broader public comment in the next two months. HEADS UP Draft advisory materials are expected to be released for public consultation in the next few months. on the role of AUVS-­‐A, the AAIF or just an update on regulatory reform, then please contact Peggy MacTavish. Drafts of the other guidance materials (AC 101-­‐6 Maintenance and Continuing Airworthiness, AC 101-­‐7 Manufacturing and Initial Airworthiness, and AC 101-­‐8 Safety Management Systems) are expected to be released for public consultation late in 2012. CASA considers the UAS sector as it would any other professional sector of the aviation community. Have Your Say! The advisory materials and updated regulations are expected to include a raft of changes for the UAS industry. Members are strongly encouraged to review the regulations and submit their comments to CASA. AUVS-­‐A will notify all of its members via email and via the website when the advisory m aterials are opened for comment. We will endeavour to keep you up to date with the regulatory reform process. In future issues of the newsletter we will summarise some of the key changes in the proposed advisory materials (upon their release). If you would like more information UAS – A Professional Sector AUVS-­‐A strongly supports CASA in this position. Proposed changes to the definitions in the CASR will make the distinction between the UAS industry and aero-­‐modellers very clear. Simply put, if you fly for sport and recreation, then you are a model aircraft. All else are considered UAS, and therefore part of the industry. ANY safety incident or unprofessional act by a UAS operator (a member of AUVS-­‐A or not) will impact us ALL. We encourage all of our members to report illegal UAS operations to CASA, who are continuing to ramp up their oversight and enforcement activities for the industry. It is up to us ALL to maintain the professional image and safe reputation of the UAS industry. Article w ritten by Reece Clothier 1
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 6 2011 AUVS-­‐A Annual General Meeting AUVS-­‐Australia's 2011 AGM was held at the Queensland Government office downtown Brisbane on December 2nd. to the terrestrial and m aritime sectors as well. •
The AGM engaged both Board Members and Members in discussion on AUVS-­‐Australia activities for the year and the plan m oving forward. Summary of President’s Report Key points from the President’s report included: •
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AUVS-­‐Australia's Strategic & Business Plan has focused on expanding our reach across Australia and Globally to ensure the association attains self-­‐
sufficiency. While the unmanned aviation sector has been AUVS-­‐Australia's flagship, m oving forward, AUVS-­‐
A will be giving more attention •
With respect to finance, AUVS-­‐
Australia is secure in meeting its operational and staffing requirements. However, all Members and Board Members should continue their efforts to ensure continued financial security of the association. Both Advocacy and Events kept AUVS-­‐Australia staff and Board Members busy throughout the year working to develop new relationships with Federal and State Government to further unmanned systems support. Events included the first A UVS-­‐A conference at Avalon, the Defence Networking Dinner in South Australia and the UAS Forum in Queensland. The President's report also highlighted the Executive Directors activities during 2 011. She was busy. •
The passing of Rod Walker was explicitly mentioned. Rod played an important role in the establishment of AUVS-­‐Australia and his vision, passion and unique personality will be sorely missed. Dr KC Wong, AUVS-­‐A President. Changes to the Board Retiring Board Members included: Greg Tyrrell, A lan Gordon, Mark Smith and Eduardo Nebot. President: Dr KC Wong Vice-­‐President: Mr Peter Smith Secretary: Mr Andrew Duggan Treasurer: Mr Simon Olsen Back Row (Left to Right): Dennis Frousheger, Jim Coyne, Andrew Duggan, Matthew Dunbabin, Daniel Fitzgerald, Phil Presgrave. Front Row (Left to Right): Jack Kormas, Phil Swinsburg, Joe Moharich, Peggy MacTavish, Natalie Brooks, Angela Garvey, KC Wong. 4
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 Board Members: AUVS-­‐A Membership Dr. Matthew Dunbabin Mr. Anthony Patterson Dr. Andrew Lucas Mr. Joe Moharich Dr. Daniel Fitzgerald Dr. Duncan Campbell Dr. Juan Nieto Mr. Phil Swinsburg Mr. Jack Kormas Mr. Tony Landers The board is committed to growing AUVS-­‐A and its services to the Australian UVS community. AUVS-­‐Australia exists because of our Members. I have enjoyed meeting and learning about each and every Member since coming on board at AUVS-­‐Australia. When possible I try to come to each m embers’ location during my travels and to ensure the visits continue as our m embership grows I will be notifying all m embers each time I travel out from Brisbane. Please let me know if you’d have time during my visit to your location and I’ll come out and we’ll chat! 7 Our membership has grown to over 200 members across Australia and globally in the last 15 months and as such we’re currently launching membership renewals. Please watch for an e-­‐mail letting you know you membership status and how to renew. I look forward to seeing you renew, thank you in advance for your continued support, and of course look forward to welcoming all our new members who come on board. Peggy MacTavish AUVS-­‐A Executive Director. Board Member Profile Who am I? Phil Swinsburg is the Director of Unmanned Systems Australia based in Brisbane, Queensland. Phil started the company after having introduced UAVs into the Australian Defence Force. He now specialises in consulting and training services for all Unmanned Systems (Air, Ground, Surface and Underwater Systems) and represents the Schiebel S-­‐100 CAMCOPTER in Australia. Other UAS capabilities will also be announced shortly to meet a growing level of demand for highly developed and capable UAS and other unmanned platforms. Background and Experience Phil spent 24 years in the A ustralian Army and is a specialist in Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems, not only in aerial platforms but also for ground based and unattended sensor systems. During his career in the Australian Army, Phil Swinsburg raised the Army UAV unit (20 STA Regiment) and oversaw the introduction into service of the Skylark Mini UAV, the leased Scan Eagle UAS Capability and the Mr Phil Swinsburg commencement of the introduction of the Shadow UAS into the Australian Army. Phil has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four times, twice with UAS systems. Unmanned Systems Australia is currently developing a number of applications for the employment of UAS in civil airspace and has patents pending in this area of technology. Unmanned Systems Australia is heavily focused in the development of UAS for the commercial and civil sectors and is very optimistic of the UAS industry in Australia. Role and Goals for AUVS-­‐A As a board member Phil is interested in developing a greater awareness by Federal and State Governments in the economic and social advantages that Unmanned System can provide to the future economy, noting Australia's unique place in the world with abundant airspace, wide-­‐spread environmental responsibilities, vast agricultural and mineral monitoring opportunities and our highly developed scientific research community. Phil is interested in hearing from AUVS-­‐A community m embers and what they want the AUVS-­‐A board to do for them and the wider unmanned community and so feel free to contact him at: phil.swinsburg@unmannedsystems.com.au 1
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AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 8 2012 UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue Competition Rod Walker Memorial Endowment Fund Update In the last issue we conveyed the sad news that a pioneer of the Australian UAS industry and founding board member of AUVS-­‐A, Professor Rod Walker had passed away. Since then, friends and colleagues of Rod’s have been working hard to establish the Rod W alker Memorial Endowment Fund. The Fund was established to ensure Rod’s vision would be realised and lasting recognition of Rod’s significant contributions to the industry. The first exciting activity to be undertaken by the Fund will be announced shortly. The activity will be targeted towards attracting higher education students into the UAS industry and research. So university students watch this space! You can help us to reach our fundraising target! If you would like to help us continue Rod’s vision, then please consider making a tax-­‐deductible donation via the online website. It’s quick, easy and every little bit helps! The preparations for the 2012 UAV Challenge Outback Rescue are well underway. This year’s event will include the Search and Rescue Challenge (held every second year and open to universities and UAS enthusiasts) and the Airborne Delivery Challenge (held every year and open to A ustralian High School students). The event will be held in the first week of October at Kingaroy Airport, Queensland. While teams in the Search and Rescue Challenge have been busy working on their systems for over a year, teams for the Airborne Delivery Challenge have only been preparing for a little under 2 months. The rules for this year’s Airborne Delivery Challenge were released early in February 2012 and feature a new “Search Phase”. The “Search Phase” will provide an exciting new dimension to the event, which is now in its sixth year. High School teams have until the 18th of July to register for the event. More information can be found at: www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au The ABC featured an excellent video profile of the 2011 Dickson College Airborne Delivery Challenge Team. The feature video provides a great insight into the learning experience offered by the UAV Challenge. We encourage you to watch it. The online article and video can be viewed here: Joe – Still waiting to be rescued! The Challenge not only inspires young people to consider careers in the UAS industry but is an opportunity to build greater community awareness of the civil industry. AUVS-­‐A has been a proud supporter of the UAV Challenge since its inception. Without the generous support of past sponsors and the volunteer efforts of the organising and technical committees (lead by CSIRO and QUT as part of their ARCAA joint venture), this great event would not be possible. The UAV Challenge Organising Committee is seeking volunteers and sponsorship to support us in holding this year’s event. If you think you could lend your expertise or if your organisation would be interested in hearing about sponsorship opportunities, then please contact the Committee through Peggy MacTavish. More updates to come! http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2012/02/07/3425159.htm#uavOnABC Find out how you can help by visiting: http://www.arcaa.aero/about-­‐
arcaa/rodwalkerfund/ Photo by Stefan Hrabar www.auvsi.org/Australia/ Photo by Stefan Hrabar AUVS-­‐A Industry Update Issue 3, April 2012 AUVS-­‐A Member Opportunities Would you like to advertise and promote your company on our website and/or in our newsletter? Place Your Ad Here! Would you like to let all of Australia and beyond know about your products and services via AUVS-­‐Australia? AUVS-­‐Australia is now pleased to be able to provide advertising opportunities through our website and this newsletter. The AUVS-­‐A website is associated with AUVSI’s website and is viewed by global corporations, international manufacturers, military, suppliers and enthusiasts worldwide. For information on how your organisation can take advantage of this opportunity, please contact us and we’ll send you a list of the different advertising options available. Contact us for advertising opportunities
Further, A UVS-­‐A is pleased to announce that it will advertise industry job vacancies via the newsletter and website free of charge for corporate AUVS-­‐A members. To take up this wonderful opportunity, please contact Peggy. HELI & UV PACIFIC 2012 In conjunction with: AUVS-­‐Australia is pleased to announce that it will be partnering with Shepard Media in hosting the Unmanned Vehicles Pacific Conference and Exhibition. The conference, which is now in its fifth year, will be held on the 23rd-­‐24th of May 2012 at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, QLD. The event's official partner is the Queensland Government organised in association with AUVS-­‐A. Held in conjunction with Heli Pacific the combined events attract audiences of over 600, drawn from the military, government, industry and academic institutions from Australia and the wider region. The exhibition showcases solutions and systems on the cutting edge of unmanned technology and the conference content reflects this fast growing and exciting sector. The speakers will include experts in the unmanned aircraft systems domain, including W ing Commander David Riddel, LT COL Nathan Loynes and Dr Andrew Fletcher. All AUVS-­‐A members who register for the conference will be entered into a draw to receive two free tickets to the Heli & UV Pacific Gala Dinner. Sign up now: http://www.shephardmedia.com/events/heli-­‐uv-­‐pacific-­‐2012-­‐69/ Need to Contact Us? Contact AUVS-­‐A Executive Director, Peggy MacTavish •
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peggy.mactavish@auvsaustralia.com.au (07) 3138 8498 www.auvsi.org/Australia/ 9