The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is seeking views on its draft Initial Technical Concept of Operations (ConOps) for Electronic Conspicuity (EC). This is the first publicly available version which sets out the UK’s current position on EC.
EC enables aircraft to “detect and be detected” electronically, helping to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions and improve situational awareness. The CAA is inviting feedback on nine positions that it is proposing to adopt as technical requirements for the airborne use of EC in the UK. These focus on equipage requirements, device standards and how the benefits of EC will be safely incorporated into UK airspace.
The draft document also outlines the CAA’s short-term and longer-term steps for EC implementation. The short-term positions are effectively the concept test phase, and the longer term strategy will become ‘business as usual’ after completion of the test phase. The CAA intends to work closely with industry throughout the test phase.
The authority is seeking input from a range of stakeholders, including General Aviation (GA) pilots and organisations, UAS operators, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), aerodrome operators, manufacturers and developers of EC technology, government departments, regulators, and policy stakeholders, and individuals or organisations with an interest in UK airspace.
The consultation includes a mixture of multiple-choice and free-text questions. It is not necessary to respond to every question and respondents are invited to focus on the areas most relevant to their expertise or interests.
The consultation opens today, July 15 and will remain open until 23:59 on October 6, 2025.
The ConOps includes a short Call for Evidence to support the CAA’s early thinking on a potential future EC mandate, which is being explored separately by the authority and the Department for Transport.
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