A specialized module for end-to-end drone monitoring – from flight plan submission to landing – needs to be integrated into Russia's unified air traffic management system. This proposal was put forward by Dmitry Savitsky, Deputy General Director of the Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation.
According to him, the new subsystem should operate and rely not only on civilian infrastructure but also on military means for detecting small-sized UAVs.
The system for monitoring and controlling UAV flights, as a state system, must be an integral part of the ES OrVD – it must be included in its composition as a specialized information subsystem and ensure end-to-end control of UAVs in real time.
The technical architecture of the solution involves placing control segments in the main and regional ATM centers. These nodes will exchange data with air defense units, executive authorities, and law enforcement agencies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. This approach will close the current gap in the regulation of flights of small and medium-sized drones, which often remain outside the visibility of civilian air traffic control services today.
The integration of military radars and electronic means into the civilian air traffic control circuit will require solving issues of protocol compatibility and data transmission channel protection. However, Almaz-Antey experts are convinced: only a unified surveillance circuit can ensure safety for both airports and critical infrastructure.
