UAS Plaza debuts at Berlin Air Show

Unmanned aircraft systems are becoming increasingly important in civil and military aviation   A new section at the International Air Show ILA 2012 reflects current global developments in civil and military aviation. From 11 to 16 September, for the first time, exhibitors at the new UAS Plaza will display a wide range of unmanned aircraft systems. This area concentrating UAS exhibits is on the outdoor display site of the new ILA grounds at Berlin ExpoCenter Airport in front of Halls 2 and 3. According to a forecast by the US Teal Group, over the next ten years spending on military unmanned aircraft systems will double, rising from 6.6 to 11.4 billion dollars. Experts also predict a large increase in civil aviation uses. In line with overall changes the use of unmanned aircraft systems will accelerate. Incorporating unmanned aircraft systems into German Aviation Law has prepared the ground for laying down firm UAS acceptance criteria, enabling their use in controlled airspace and in numerous civilian areas, i.e. public safety, civil protection, farming, geo-surveys, to name but a few examples. In order to provide experts at ILA 2012 with a concentrated overview of the market well known UAS manufacturers such as Cassidian, General Atomics and Northrop Grumman will display their products at the UAS Plaza or on their company stands. Their exhibits will include the Predator, EuroHawk and Barracuda. The Bundeswehr will show the ALADIN, KZO and LUNA unmanned aircraft systems on its display area. By addressing key themes such as Defence and Security and Research and Technology the ILA is the ideal platform for presenting unmanned aircraft systems, the technology which they use and their range of capabilities. Be they large or small systems for military or civil applications, whether they employ rotors or fixed wings, the ILA brings developers and manufacturers into contact with all the relevant target audiences. Hall 3 will host a display of smaller systems and a combined stand with around ten exhibitors. The products on display here are from start-ups from Denmark, Italy and Spain, among others. German universities and research institutes will reveal the findings of their research work. Accompanying the UAS display will be a conference programme, where the focus is on payload suppliers and service providers as well as everything to do with training and simulation. High-profile international speakers have been invited to attend the opening event of the UAS Day on 12 September, where they will deliver papers on the current and future uses of unmanned aircraft systems in civil and military aviation. During the ILA the interest groups UAV DACH (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Deutschland ,Austria, Confoederatio Helvetica) and AFCEA (Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association) will hold a conference on UAS applications and deployment. On 14 Sept. 2012 an international UAS workshop will take place at which UAS manufacturers will talk about their many capabilities and at which international research institutes will report on their research work and innovations.