Unifly Concludes Contribution to FAA ASSURE A68 Project on Detect-and-Avoid Well-Clear Requirements
Antwerp, Belgium – January 15 2026 – Unifly has successfully completed its contribution to the FAA-sponsored ASSURE A68 research project, marking an important milestone in the ongoing effort to validate detect-and-avoid (DAA) well-clear requirements for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).
The A68 project, titled “Validate Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Detect and Avoid (DAA) Well Clear Requirements”, was conducted under the FAA’s Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) Center of Excellence. In collaboration with the ASSURE and several of its member universities—including Mississippi State University, the University of Kansas, the University of North Dakota, and Wichita State University—the initiative sought to validate DAA well-clear requirements for sUAS. It brought together leading U.S. research institutions and industry partners to assess whether current well-clear separation standards remain appropriate for today’s operational and technological environment.
Unifly supported the project as part of UTM Services Field Testing by providing UAS Traffic Management (UTM) services used during simulation and flight-test activities. These services enabled the integration, distribution, and monitoring of surveillance data from multiple sources, including ADS-B, radar, cellular telemetry, and Remote Identification (RID). The work evaluated how UTM can support separation between sUAS and crewed aircraft, as well as between multiple sUAS operating in shared airspace.
Field testing and simulations showed that UTM-enabled separation services can effectively support established well-clear thresholds when sufficient surveillance performance and communication reliability are available. The research also explored reduced horizontal separation distances under specific conditions, contributing data and insights to inform future standards development and regulatory decision-making.
“Participation in the ASSURE A68 project reflects Unifly’s continued commitment to evidence-based airspace integration. By supporting rigorous flight testing and system-level evaluation, we help ensure that future UAS operations are built on validated assumptions, robust data, and operationally realistic concepts.”
The A68 findings provide a consolidated technical foundation for aviation authorities and standards bodies as they consider potential refinements to detect-and-avoid performance requirements, including those relevant to beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and higher-density drone environments.
Unifly’s involvement in ASSURE A68 builds on its broader engagement—alongside regulators, research organizations, and industry partners—worldwide to advance interoperable UTM and U-space services that support the safe and scalable integration of drones into controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
About Unifly
Unifly Inc. is the U.S. office of Unifly NV, a Belgium-based global leader in Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) software solutions. Unifly enables the safe integration of drones into controlled airspace. Its platform is operational with leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) across Europe, North America, and Asia, supporting regulatory frameworks such as EASA’s U-space and Canada’s RPAS.
For more information, please contact us at press@unifly.aero.
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