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Air Force Begins Testing Uncrewed Aircraft Traffic Control System

The Air Force Research Laboratory is studying ways to integrate flights of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) at bases nationwide.

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 01:53 PM ET

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Senior Airman Brooks Dingman, an air traffic controller for MacDill AFB’s 6th Operations Group in Florida, uses CLUE to designate areas requiring approval for drone flight. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is actively testing a new UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system called CLUE, spearheaded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Mobility Command (AMC).
CLUE's primary goal is to safely integrate drone flights with crewed aircraft, enabling advanced capabilities like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations at Air Force installations, with initial operational assessment at MacDill Air Force Base.
The system provides air traffic controllers with a 3D view of UAS activity, automates flight permissions, and streamlines real-time flight planning, serving as a critical step towards increasing drone usage and integrating advanced air mobility aircraft like eVTOLs.

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The U.S. Air Force is looking to fly more drones and other uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) at bases across the country.

On Monday, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced that it and the Air Mobility Command (AMC), which provides aerial refueling and airlift services for U.S. forces worldwide, began testing a UAS traffic management (UTM) system at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.