Restrictions for drones near critical infrastructure sites

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a proposed rule that would allow specific categories of critical infrastructure sites to apply for restrictions on drone operations around their facilities. Sixteen sectors would be eligible for restrictions including energy production, transportation systems, chemical facilities, water treatment plants, and defense industrial complexes.

The rule would establish two types of restrictions:
1. Standard Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction (UAFR): A general restriction that bars unmanned aircraft operations within a specific boundary, except for operators who have previously met rigorous safety and security standards.
2. Special Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction (UAF): A much more severe restriction that bars unmanned aircraft operations within a specific boundary for all operators unless they have the express prior approval from both the FAA and the sponsoring agency (for example, the Department of Homeland Security).

The restricted area would have clearly defined horizontal and vertical boundaries. Violators could face civil or criminal penalties. The rule would also allow site operator to contact law enforcement if a drone flew in a restricted area, after which authorities can use Remote ID to locate the control station or operator. Pilots could face license suspensions, revocations, fines and criminal charges for entering these no fly zones. www.faa.gov

UAV Navigation launches Vector-300

UAV Navigation has launched the Vector 300 – a highperformance autopilot, which is designed to meet the industrial and operational requirements of massproduced, attritable unmanned aerial systems, with a clear focus on loitering munition and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) interceptor applications.

Vector300 has been engineered to combine advanced autonomous guidance, navigation and control (GNC) capabilities with scalability and manufacturability. Its architecture is designed to reduce technical complexity and enable agile, largescale production while ensuring consistent and reliable performance across highvolume deployments. www.uavnavigation.com