Fortem Technologies has completed the first phase of the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) in North Carolina.

Under the program, Fortem is performing tests to monitor the airspace around WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, tracking manned flights alongside the UPS Delivery Corridor, and using UAS to deliver medical test samples safely and quickly.

Fortem says that it was able to accurately and consistently track incoming medical helicopter traffic, and provide real-time alerts to unmanned service supplier AirMap to ensure a safe and secure airspace for flight.

“Ensuring the safety of manned aviation is paramount for unmanned flight operations, yet successful coordination of the two is not an easy task,” explains Basil Yap, UAS Program manager, NCDOT.

“The phase one testing has shown promising results and we are hopeful the phase two operations will provide the information we need to receive a beyond-visual-line-of-sight waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration.”

Fortem Technologies will continue to provide situational awareness of potential collisions with manned aircraft for the UAS operators in the WakeMed area. To ensure that UAS operations and drone deliveries do not interfere with medical helicopters flying in and out of the area, the company utilizes its TrueView radar and SkyDome software system. The company can also alert drone operators of any potential non-cooperative aircraft in the vicinity.

Fortem will continue to provide situational awareness and secure the airspace into the next phase of the program. As part of the UAS IPP, NCDOT will continue to support its partners’ operations at WakeMed throughout the year until the program’s conclusion in October.

Fortem is working with NCDOT’s other partners to move operations at the WakeMed campus to beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), with plans to ultimately expand operations to more WakeMed facilities in the Raleigh area.

“By monitoring the airspace and creating a service that ensures the safe use of unmanned air vehicles, we will expand from these initial drone deliveries to greater geographical reach and more sophisticated roles for unmanned drones,” says Adam Robertson, CTO of Fortem Technologies.

“With Fortem’s ability to offer real time data and analysis of airborne threats, we can start to see additional support for things like search and rescue operations, first responders, and increased shipments of critical supplies to remote locations. None of this can happen without the trust that our systems are effective and safe.”