FAA Announces Stakeholder Members of UAS Detection and Mitigation Aviation Rulemaking Committee

Fifty-eight aviation stakeholders will soon develop recommendations for the expanded detection and mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formed the UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee to ensure that new technologies designed to detect and mitigate risks from errant or hostile UAS do not adversely impact the safe and efficient operation of the nation’s airspace. The ARC’s 58 members represent a diverse set of aviation stakeholders, including those from the UAS industry.Â

“The FAA understands the potential risk posed by drones in the hands of unwelcome actors and we want to involve the entire industry in finding and using safe solutions,” said Tonya Coultas, Acting Associate Administrator for Security and Hazardous Materials Safety.

Michael Robbins, Executive Vice President of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); Matt Cornelius, Executive Vice President of Airports Council International-North America; and Abigail Smith, Acting Executive Director of UAS Security for the FAA, serve as co-chairs.

The committee will begin its work in May and issue a final report in early 2024.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.