Belgium’s Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services (MDK) and national air navigation services provider skeyes have today (October 24) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further develop their collaboration on the safe deployment and integration of drones over the North Sea.
MDK and skeyes aim to further enhance the integration of manned and unmanned air traffic in Belgian airspace, noting that drones offer “major opportunities for carrying out public interest missions at sea, such as Search and Rescue (SAR) operations and the inspection of maritime infrastructure and zones”.
Under the agreement, both parties commit to:
- improving the situational awareness of the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) by integrating real-time air traffic data from both manned (skeyes) and unmanned (SkeyDrone) operations; and
- developing a roadmap for the structural deployment of drones by MDK, including a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a SAR drone over the North Sea in cooperation with SkeyDrone.
The first concrete actions will begin later this year. By the end of 2025, the integration of air traffic data into the MRCC’s operational picture will be fully finalised. In 2026, the operational phase will follow, further developing a structural drone capability for MDK.
The cooperation will initially run for three years and may be extended thereafter. Both organisations will evaluate progress and results at least once a year.
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