Last weekend Belgian air navigation service provider skeyes conducted a demonstration for police focused on drone detection and management.
The demonstration, which took place alongside skeyes’ subsidiary SkeyDrone, paid attention to obtaining flight authorisations for drones, detecting illegal flights, and exploring potential intervention measures against unauthorised flights.
Held at skeyes’ headquarters in Steenokkerzeel, the demonstration attracted around 20 local and federal police officers and provided them with an overview of the potential applications of drones in policing.
The U-space initiative
A key focus of the event was the Belgium-Netherlands U-space Reference Design Implementation (BURDI) project which the police are a key partner of.
The aim of this project is to establish a designated airspace for unmanned aviation over the Port of Antwerp by 2026, and will be Europe’s first operational U-space area for economic drone applications.
“We are implementing European rules into feasible operations and agreements,” said skeyes spokesperson Kurt Verwilligen. “By 2026, we expect the Port of Antwerp to have an operational U-space, with potential for further expansion across Belgium and Europe.”
SkeyDrone’s role in this initiative involves authorizing flights and ensuring that drones do not interfere with other aircrafts. Police will be an integral part of this process, particularly in tracking illegal drone activity within the port.
SkeyDrone’s detection system, SkeyBox, has been developed as a tool for real-time monitoring of unauthorized drones. This system can track drone movements in specific areas, providing law enforcement with the information needed to intervene.
“Day by day, we are dealing with more flights. If we can’t detect unauthorized drones, we are facing a risk,” Verwilligen said. “For example, drones detected on airport runways pose a real danger, especially if they interfere with aircrafts.”
skeyes and SkeyDrone are working alongside European legislators on specific regulations governing drone activity. “There is a lack of law enforcement,” Verwilligen said. “BURDI will highlight the need for regulation to make these operations fully functional.”
During the demonstration, skeyes and SkeyDrone showcased how their systems can support police services as users of the airspace such as in emergency responses, surveillance, investigations and maintaining public order. Police were also shown how they can use the systems in monitoring compliance with drone regulations by private users.
Last month, SkeyDrone released its Drone Detection Report which analyzed two months of drone activity across the Belgian coastline including authorized and unauthorized flights.
