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Enhancing UAS Detection and Mitigation for Airport Safety and Airspace Hazard Mitigation and Enforcement (Section 383).
Misson Objective
The FAA first announced an effort to test and evaluate technologies and systems that could detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by unmanned aircraft at and near airports in August of 2020. Five airports were selected for participation in the testing program, including Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
Hidden Level deployed its Airspace Monitoring Service for evaluation as a standalone solution as well as a complementary technology to Saab's SAFE Airport Event Management system. The results from this testing and evaluation effort will be used to assist with planning for certifying, permitting, or authorizing UAS detection and mitigation technologies at airports around the country.
The Problem
The challenge was to ensure that UAS detection and mitigation technologies could be safely integrated into airport operations without disrupting the National Airspace System (NAS). The solution needed to:
- Detect and track both cooperative (with Remote ID) and non-cooperative (without Remote ID) UAS.
- Provide real-time data for monitoring, alerting, and visualization to assist airport and FAA personnel.
- Be evaluated for effectiveness in operational airport environments and demonstrate a low false alarm rate while maintaining a high probability of detection.
What we did
In partnership with the FAA’s Center of Excellence, we deployed Hidden Level’s UAS detection technology for evaluation. The process was as follows:
- Temporary Deployment at FAA’s Center of Excellence: We first deployed a passive sensing network to the FAA’s Center of Excellence in Atlantic City, New Jersey (ACY) to evaluate performance and ability to detect UAS activity across a variety of conditions.
- Evaluation Success and Expansion: After a successful performance evaluation at ACY, Hidden Level was selected to expand the technology deployment to two additional airport environments: Syracuse, NY (SYR) and Huntsville, AL (HSV). These deployments allowed for further evaluation under different operational scenarios, ensuring robust testing in diverse airport environments.
- Implementation of Real-Time Data Visualization and Alerting: The system included a robust alerting and visualization platform that allowed for real-time data playback, giving airport personnel an immediate and intuitive view of UAS activity.
Value Delivered
- Effective Detection of Both Cooperative and Non-Cooperative UAS at Tactical Ranges: Across three different civil airport environments (ACY, SYR, HSV), the system demonstrated its ability to detect and track commercially available UAS at tactically significant ranges, detecting both Remote ID (RID)-enabled UAS and non-cooperative UAS simultaneously. By capturing data from both types of UAS, the system provided comprehensive coverage and critical airspace awareness to airport operators and FAA personnel, addressing a key challenge in UAS traffic management and mitigation
- Performance in Secondary Test Environments: The deployments at Huntsville (HSV) and Syracuse (SYR) airports showed consistently high performance, with a high probability of detection and low false alarm rates. This indicated the system’s reliability and accuracy in different operational settings, meeting the FAA’s stringent standards for UAS detection.
- Real-Time Data Playback and Visualization: The system provided end users with real-time data playback and a clear, intuitive visualization interface. This allowed airport operators to view UAS activity instantly, facilitating quicker decision-making and response to unauthorized UAS operations thus improving their ability to assess and respond to potential risks
Conclusion
Through the deployment and evaluation of Hidden Level’s UAS detection technology at the FAA’s Center of Excellence and multiple airports, we successfully demonstrated the capability to detect, track, and mitigate the risks posed by errant or hostile UAS operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). The system’s ability to integrate into existing airport operations, while providing high levels of detection accuracy and low false alarm rates, offers a promising solution for airspace security at civil airports across the country.
Enhancing UAS Detection and Mitigation for Airport Safety and Airspace Hazard Mitigation and Enforcement (Section 383).
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