In Belgium, such drone operations require a permit from the Directorate General of Aviation. This permit has been granted, thanks to the significant efforts of air traffic controller Skeyes, which, together with the BIPT (Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications), also issued a positive recommendation.
The drone operations are part of the Multipurpose Maritime Operation (MMO) currently taking place in the southern part of the North Sea, where Flemish and federal Coast Guard partners will collaborate for several months with the French Coast Guard. The drone to be used, a CAMCOPTER S-100, is provided by EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency). After a short notification period to all other airspace operators, the first drone flights will begin in early August. Operations will continue until the end of October.
The Ministry of Defence, the federal scientific institute BMM, DG Environment, DG Shipping, the Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries and the agency for Maritime and Coastal services are involved. Various services will use the drone to improve enforcement, such as detecting pollution, identifying violations of maritime regulations, conducting fisheries inspections, or enhancing imaging of the Belgian part of the North Sea. Drones can also prove useful during large-scale sea operations, for example, by assessing impact and damage at sea or detecting fire sources before rescue teams board vessels.
“This project paves the way for the future and provides answers to the challenges of the ever-growing unmanned aviation sector. Many possibilities are still beyond our imagination, but thanks to this initiative, we can anticipate them in time,” adds Johan Decuyper of skeyes. “At skeyes, we have always believed in the potential of drones. That’s why we wholeheartedly support groundbreaking projects like this and actively contribute to their further development.”
