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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 testing a new Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) system, called CLUE, at MacDill Air Force Base, making it the first DoD installation to operationally assess such a system in its airspace.
CLUE is designed to safely integrate drone flights alongside crewed aircraft by providing air traffic controllers with 3D operational views, automating flight permissions, and streamlining procedures for advanced drone operations like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).
This initiative is part of a broader effort to accommodate increasing drone activity and future aircraft like electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, with plans for expansion to other bases and collaboration with organizations like NASA and the FAA.

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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.