By Paloma Pinto Ribeiro Coelho, previously published at Global Airspace Radar
Across South America, aviation authorities are adapting their regulatory frameworks to manage the growth of drone operations. In my previous article, I highlighted Brazil’s plans to rewrite its drone rules and the challenge of adapting regulation to a changing industry. Chile’s experience raises a related question: What capabilities are being put in place to identify and respond to drone activity that falls outside the rules?
Chile’s aviation authority, the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC), has established requirements for drone registration, pilot credentials and operational authorisation. It has also procured portable drone detection equipment and is working with other public authorities on aviation oversight. These measures offer a starting point for examining how regulation is being supported by enforcement capabilities.1
A framework still evolving
Chile’s drone rules span several Chilean Aeronautical Standards (DAN). DAN 91 sets out the general rules of the air, while DAN 151 covers remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) operations over populated areas. DAN 119 addresses air operator certification, and DAN 137 covers aerial work involving RPAS.1
Of course, the requirements vary by operation, including whether a flight takes place over a populated area and whether it constitutes commercial aerial work. Under the applicable provisions, operators may need aircraft registration, pilot credentials, operational authorisation and, where relevant, an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).2
Under an applicable exception in DAN 91, certain lightweight aircraft made from expanded polystyrene or an equivalent material can operate in private areas without DGAC authorisation, subject to specified weight, height and other conditions. Other aircraft and operations must comply with the relevant regulatory requirements.2
The rules are also subject to review. In April 2026, the DGAC published a draft fourth edition of DAN 151 for public comment. The proposal would broaden the standard’s scope and revise several requirements, but it has not yet been adopted.3
The consultation indicates that Chile’s approach is still being examined as drone operations develop. Any changes to the requirements will need to be supported by adequate resources and effective processes to ensure compliance can be properly overseen.
Eyes on the sky
One step towards strengthening oversight came in July 2025, when the DGAC awarded UAV LATAM Chile SpA a contract worth CLP 19.29 million for two portable RPAS/UAS detection systems. The tender specified equipment capable of detecting and analysing signals from a range of drone models and locating the operator. The systems were intended for use by operational safety inspectors conducting inspections.4
The procurement gives inspectors a tool for identifying drone activity and gathering information that may support an investigation. However, the award of a contract does not, by itself, establish how frequently the systems are being used or what results they have produced. Their effectiveness will ultimately depend on how detection capabilities are integrated into the DGAC’s wider approach to monitoring and enforcing drone operations.
The procurement also points to a broader consideration for Chile as commercial drone operations develop: the ability to monitor activity across different operating environments. For the DGAC, portable detection systems offer a way to extend oversight beyond the administrative requirements governing individual operators and aircraft. How these capabilities are deployed, and whether they become part of routine inspection activity, will be an important measure of how Chile’s regulatory framework translates into operational oversight.
Coordination across authorities
Chile has also taken steps to strengthen coordination between aviation and law-enforcement bodies.
On 14 August 2026, the DGAC and the Policía de Investigaciones de Chile (PDI) conducted a joint inspection exercise at Eulogio Sánchez aerodrome, also known as Tobalaba, in the Santiago area. The activity followed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement signed in May, which established mechanisms for information-sharing and coordination intended to strengthen oversight across Chile’s national airport system.5
During the Tobalaba exercise, the DGAC checked flight crews and aviation operations within its remit, while the PDI carried out checks under its own legal responsibilities.5
Such cooperation can be relevant when an incident involves responsibilities that extend beyond a single authority. But the Tobalaba exercise should not be taken as evidence of a specific increase in drone-related enforcement. Its significance lies in the coordination arrangements and the potential to bring different institutional capabilities together.
The DGAC said in August that further inspections involving the PDI and other state bodies were planned at aerodromes for the second half of 2026.5
Closer to realisation
Chile’s experience illustrates several connected elements of drone oversight: rules defining permitted operations, technology to help identify activity, and cooperation between authorities.
As the DGAC reviews its regulatory framework, the focus shifts from how requirements evolve to how authorities identify non-compliance and respond to it. The procurement of detection equipment and the development of inter-agency cooperation indicate efforts to strengthen that capacity. Their longer-term impact will depend on how these tools and arrangements are deployed in operational settings.
Brazil’s regulatory changes and Chile’s focus on oversight reflect different developments within the region, but both highlight the relationship between the rules governing drone operations and the ability to enforce them.
1 Source: DGAC, Drones: Regulations, last updated 29 October 2026.
2 Source: DGAC, Drones: Regulations – Recreational Flying and Work, last updated 29 October 2026.
3 Source: DGAC, Change Report – DAN 151, Fourth Edition, April 2026.
4 Source: Chilean Public Procurement Platform (Mercado Público), Tender ID 1602-15-LE25, July 2025.
5 Source: DGAC, DGAC y PDI Conducted an Inspection Exercise at AD. Tobalaba, 26 August 2026.