The FAA’s Remote ID for Drones may be ready this year

Steve Dickson, the FAA Administrator, said Wednesday during the virtual UAS Summit & Expo that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) might be able to launch Remote ID for Drones in December. The remote ID system, a fundamental component of the introduction of UAS into the national airspace, would allow a centralized system to identify UAS in the airspace in real-time.

The FAA’s Remote ID for Drones may be ready this year

Under the remote ID system defined in the FAA’s proposed remote ID regulations, published at the end of 2019, drone operators will be expected to send their position, location, velocity, and identification of their drone through broadcast and network to a centralized system that service providers can access and retrieve information from in near-real-time.

The rule is currently being examined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is the last step before it can be published, Dickson said. He agreed that a publication date could be rather unforeseeable, but the FAA sees the release of the remote ID ruling earlier rather than later.

“We are working diligently to do everything we can, working with the OMB staff to answer any questions and make sure that we continue to move forward, ”Dickson said, according to Aviation Today. “I would say that some have talked about whether it can get out in December or not, that’s not unreasonable, but obviously these things aren’t completely predictable. We’ll see where we end up but that’s certainly our hope is that it’s going to be out in the very near future.”

Because of its ability to attach a drone to its operator in real-time, which would be critical from a security perspective, enabling remote ID will be integral to enabling UAS in the national airspace.

“This really is the cornerstone being able to tie the operator and the control location to the flying machine,” Dickson said. “That’s the cornerstone for threat discrimination by law enforcement. So, with remote ID law enforcement and our national security partners will be in a better position to locate the operator, determine if the drones being operated in a clueless or malicious or non-compliant manner, or even a criminal manner, and then take appropriate action if necessary.”

Dickson said education is a significant portion of incorporating UAS into safe and stable airspace. He said the department has taken different steps to tackle and reduce threats, such as geo-fencing, remote ID technology, information monitoring, and messaging, and communications.

“This is the kind of the next big step in our strategy to integrate UAS operations and be able to scale them in the airspace, rather than segregate them in specific areas or do exemption carve-outs and things like that, which was really kind of where the agency was about four or five years ago,” Dickson said.“ And so, I think that we are on an on a path towards integration and remote ID is the next big enabling step to do that.”

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