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UAS Demonstration Campaign About

Activity Areas (1)

UAS Demonstration Campaign

As an activity of the WMO Infrastructure Commission, WMO will coordinate the holding of a UAS observations campaign, expected to commence at the start of March 2024 and to run for a period of six months, until the end of August 2024.

The WMO Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Demonstration Campaign (UAS-DC) aims at demonstrating the potential capability of UAS to play a role as an operational component of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) under the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).

Aims

In particular, the UAS-DC will focus on the following aims:

  1. To demonstrate current capabilities of a range of UAS and to measure their capacity to contribute to meeting operational requirements for upper-air observations and the filling of observational gaps of the WIGOS GBON and/or RBON;
  2. To demonstrate the capacity of UAS and their data processing systems to provide data in an interoperable format ready for use by relevant applications and forecast systems;
  3. To measure, analyse and report on the impacts of UAS observations on relevant WMO application areas and forecast systems;
  4. To determine more generally and report on areas of development needed for UAS to adequately meet requirements to efficiently, economically and environmentally responsibly contribute operationally to WIGOS; and
  5. To determine and make recommendations relating to regulatory conditions imposed on UAS that impact their ability to contribute to WIGOS.

Detailed Description

A more detailed description of the campaign is here.

Outputs and Outcomes of the UAS-DC

Aim UAS-DC Outputs Outcomes Outcomes long-term
Demonstrate current capabilities to meet operational requirements for upper-air observations
  • Reports of operational performance
  • Measurement of data quality and impact
  • Improvements to operational aspects of UAS to enable contribution to GBON
  • UAS operationally ready
  • Gaps in WIGOS filled
Provision of data in real-time.
  • Provision of data to central repository
  • Reports of operational performance
  • Requirements understood for provision of data on operational basis.
  • Implementation of UAS data representation standard.
  • UAS contribute operationally to GBON/NWP
  • Data exchange implemented by Members
To measure, analyse and report on impacts of UAS observation.
  • Measurement of UAS impacts on NWP & applications
  • Reports of data users
  • Knowledge of potential for UAS to meet requirements for NWP
  • Knowledge of impact of UAS on NWP and other meteorological applications
  • UAS routinely assimilated into NWP
  • UAS help improve NWP skill
To determine areas of development needed for UAS.
  • Reports of UAS performance in a range of operating domains and modes.
  • Understanding of technical & other improvements required to UAS systems.
  • UAS operationally ready to become a component observing system
  • UAS become supplemental or replacement observing system.
Recommendations relating to regulatory conditions imposed on UAS.
  • Reports of impacts of regulatory conditions and restrictions.
  • Informed input to regulatory framework for UAS.
  • Knowledge of benefits of less restrictive regulations.
  • UAS are integral component of national and international airspace.
  • UAS for Wx have required special exemptions / approvals.