Volatus Aerospace has received a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada that allows it to conduct more complex Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone missions using MatrixSpace’s radar technology integrated through Kongsberg Geospatial’s IRIS Terminal platform.
“This SFOC builds upon milestones such as Volatus’ approved BVLOS medical delivery operations at Halton Healthcare,” said Glen Lynch, CEO of Volatus Aerospace. “With our partners, we are expanding these capabilities by integrating a lightweight and scalable detect and avoid system.”
The authorization enables Volatus to incorporate a lightweight, compact radar system capable of detecting small, non-cooperative aircraft, such as drones, into its operations. When combined with Kongsberg’s airspace awareness and traffic management software and monitored through Volatus’ Operations Control Center, the technology is intended to support detect-and-avoid requirements for BVLOS flights.
The approval builds on Volatus’ existing nationwide SFOCs covering low-risk airspace, atypical airspace, nighttime operations and higher-altitude flights. The company said the new integration will extend the feasibility of automated “drone-in-a-box” services, which are used for infrastructure monitoring, industrial inspections, utilities, forestry and wildfire surveillance.
“This approval represents a major step toward scalable autonomous drone operations,” said Greg Waters, Co-founder & CEO, MatrixSpace. “Our compact radar technology is designed for exactly these kinds of applications, and Volatus is leading the way in bringing drone-in-a-box and automated services to the Canadian market.”
Executives from Volatus, Kongsberg Geospatial, and MatrixSpace said the authorization supports the wider deployment of autonomous drone services, with the integration of compact radar described as a step toward scalable BVLOS operations.
RELATED CONTENT: What is BVLOS and why does it matter for the drone industry?
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