Unmanned Systems technologies comparative Law Study: Civil and Military issues.
Credits: Studio Pierallini
The industry of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) is new and so are the regulations on this subject. There are several countries that have developed specific regulation frameworks in respect of UAS – generic category that includes both the purely Automatic Systems and the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) – such as Italy, Belgium, United States or Romania, others that have banned the use of drones (Cuba, Nicaragua or Uzbekistan), certain countries that do not have any regulation about UAS (Myanmar or Namibia) and for some others specific regulations are still in progress (Barbados or Ethiopia).
At a European level, there is a draft regulation about UAS issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that is supposed to enter into force in all the European Union Member States; until then, every Member State will apply its own legal framework.
Studio Pierallini (1), organized a workshop in Rome to present a comparative law study, (download here), that analyze the different approaches and regulations adopted by various countries in the world.
Credits: Studio Pierallini
Also in the military field, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in the context of non-segregated airspace are the object of a dedicated studies. Representatives from the Alliance Organization for Security (AOS) company, contributed to the discussion introducing the military trends highlighting the point of contacts between the military and the civil environments/requirements.
The definition of these issues, also based on the experience acquired or in progress in the civil context, and with the objective to minimize the impact, will be a milestone in the process of insertion of remotely piloted “military” aircraft in civil airspace.
This will also allow the military users to define the process to identify employment requirements, technical and regulatory standards and procedures to support the coalition in peacetime and in crisis situations, such as, for example, the overflights of different nations, the transition between the respective airspaces and the (sometimes very long) transit flight in civilian airspace to reach the military “segregated” operational area.
Considering that the military effort in this field is ongoing since relatively long time and, having already achieved a high level of maturity, is well ahead of the civilian one, it is also very likely that these results would also be fully “acquired” as part of the regulatory structures of civil institutions.
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(1) Studio Pierallini is a multidisciplinary law Firm based in Rome and Milan.
The Firm has an extensive experience in the full range of corporate and commercial advice. The Firm has enjoyed global and qualified reputation in aviation for over 20 years, providing expert advice to clients across the whole of the international aviation sector. The Firm also assists clients – Italian and foreign airlines, manufacturers, lessors, financiers, airports, handlers and travel agents – in regulatory matters, advisory services, assistance and representation before governmental agencies, the Civil Aviation Authorities, in Italy in the European Union, but also all over the world.
RECOGNIZED EXPERTISE IN AVIATION
The Firm offers a complete range of legal assistance to airlines, lessors, financiers, manufacturers, airports, handlers and travel agents, including aircraft financing, regulatory, contentious, insurance, tax, labour, customs, corporate and commercial.
The Firm’s experience in aviation includes, inter alia: representation of domestic and foreign companies engaged in air transport; financial and corporate assistance; Italian labour and regulatory advice; aircraft insurance work; assistance to handling companies; representation of Italian and foreign manufacturers and lenders in connection with the acquisition, disposition and operation of commercial aircraft, including purchase, lease, charter and financing transactions; representation before governmental agencies and the civil aviation authorities, mainly in Italy and EU but also abroad; advising international leasing companies and financiers in their aircraft business in Italy; registration and de-registration of aircraft in Italy.
