Unmanned aerial systems integration to National Airspace System

Over the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven their values and capabilities via various applications around the globe. Initiated by the military, today, UAVs are on high demand since they provide endurances and flight environments that are beyond the limits of manned systems. Civil government, scientific research institutes and commercial markets have already seized the low-cost, flexible, simple operation opportunities associated with UAV applications. However, barriers like lack of airspace regulations, airworthiness, safety, and standards applying to manned systems still remain the chief issue to address. Various initiatives are brought to life to support the creation and expansion of a civil/commercial UAV market, aiming integrated unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to National Airspace System (NAS). The goal of this paper is to present an object-oriented based software approach to demonstrate the feasibility of accurately addressing the complexity of such an integration plan, while introducing the "business process" concept.