Vanguard Magazine

interview www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 19 safety of Canadian soldiers on the ground. This will shorten the "Sensor-to-Shooter" loop and selectively give the Operational Commander the choice to strike targets in accordance with the Laws of Armed Con- flict (LOAC), in addition to CAF-specific Rules of Engagement (ROE). An RPAS will allow the CAF to assist other government departments in sup- port of special security events, such as in- ternational summits, assistance to law en- forcement agency operations, and aid to the civil authorities – such as requests for assistance in the event of natural disasters and search and rescue operations. Q How many people will the RCAF need to crew and exploit this capability? The need to operate and support this ca- pability extends beyond the immediate group of operators sitting at the controls and maintenance personnel readying it for flight. RPAS is a 'System of Systems' concept, and overlaps with existing, and some new, capabilities in the CAF. Many of these roles and responsibilities will be fulfilled by uniformed CAF personnel; however, we are exploring options that will include support from the Canadian private sector. SSE has accounted for and will provide the resources to deliver and operate this capability. Q Who will operate the platforms: pilots or other trades? If not traditional pilots, how and where will you train the operators? The RCAF training system currently de- velops versatile personnel that possess the broad skillset necessary to bring RPAS into operations. As a result, it is antici- pated that personnel from existing trades and occupations will establish the RPAS crew and workforce. The specific qualifications to fly this new platform and deliver air power for our joint operations is still being studied; however, we will be looking to streamline the training for our personnel. As with existing aircraft fleets, RPAS pilots will be trained specifically for this unique system and held to the same high standards. Q Lastly, there has been a lot of discussion in the media about concerns related to the increasing prevalence of remotely piloted aircra sharing airspace with existing private and com- mercial air traffic. How do you plan to mitigate any potential safety issues? Access to Canadian airspace by any CAF RPAS will be conducted in deliberate, in- cremental steps, ensuring the safety of all airspace users – as we have with all other platforms in the past. The RCAF is con- tinually engaging with and learning from our allies, who are integrating these sys- tems into domestic and international air- spaces. For an RPAS to operate in a controlled airspace, and without specialized segrega- tion from other aircraft, a certificated pilot must be at the controls at all times. Sig- nificant coordination activities are ongoing between the Department of National De- fence, Transport Canada, and NAV CANA- DA to ensure harmonization of RPAS regu- latory efforts into the existing and already rigorous certification process. Canadian Aerospace Leadership REGISTER BEFORE OCTOBER 11 TO BENEFIT FROM EARLY BIRD PRICING! VISIT AEROSPACESUMMIT.CA FOR ALL INFORMATION. + 1200 participants + 100 exhibitors Conference / B2B / Trade Show NOVEMBER 12-13, 2019 SHAW CENTRE, OTTAWA, CANADA Proudly hosted by

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