NPAS to trial Schiebel UAVs for use in England and Wales

The UK’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) has selected uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) ‎manufacturer Schiebel to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) trials.‎

The BVLOS trial will evaluate the feasibility of using UAVs alongside crewed police ‎helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, in support of policing operations in England and ‎Wales.‎

NPAS explained that it had spent the past two years building “a robust safety case” to ‎support the trial, including a “detect and avoid” solution to minimize potential ‎disruption to other airspace users and the general public. This solution will also be ‎tested as part of the trials.‎

A potential use case as part of a mixed aircraft fleet

As part of the Home Office-funded trials, which are due to see their first test flights this ‎summer, Schiebel will be flying its CAMCOPTER S-100 UAV in a controlled environment, ‎with the aim of assessing its capabilities as part of prospective blended aerial fleet ‎operated by NPAS.

‎The trials will be conducted in part of the Severn Estuary in southwest England, away ‎from any built-up environments.‎

‎“We will be evaluating how we might integrate uncrewed aircraft into the existing NPAS ‎operating model, under the current management of our Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ‎approved Accountable Manager and Form 4 certificate-holders, who are qualified and ‎accountable for the delivery of safe police air operations over England and Wales,” said ‎David Walters, Head of Futures and Innovation at NPAS.‎

He added: “We cannot predict the outcome of the trial, but it is imperative we deliver ‎the same, or improved, capability that we have today with our crewed aircraft. The ‎desired outcome is to be able to offer police forces in England and Wales a way of ‎supporting their operations in an even more flexible way, with a continued emphasis on ‎public safety.”‎

NPAS previously confirmed plans to assess the BVLOS capabilities of UAVs last August.‎