In addition, the nomenclature employed by the International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA) provides a legally binding series of definitions.
| Term | Abbreviation
| Definition |
| Air Navigation Order |
ANO | |
| Aircraft Operating
Authority
| AOA | The Aircraft Operating Authority shall be any one of:
a. The military commander of a discrete organisation empowered by a Letter of Delegation from the Secretary of State through the Chiefs of Staff to operate specified types of UK Military Aircraft. AoA is a command chain function, or
b. The Chief Executive of a MoD agency empowered by a Letter of Delegation from the Secretary of State through the Chiefs of Staff to operate specified types of UK Military Aircraft, or
c. The Chief Executive of a commercial company granted approval by the MoD regulator to operate specific types of UK Military Aircraft.
|
| Beyond (Visual) Line of Sight (CAA)
| BLOS (BVLOS) | Operation of a UA beyond a distance where the Remote Pilot is able to respond to or avoid other airspace users by visual means.
|
| Command and Control |
C2 | |
| Command and Control Link
| C2 Link | The data link between the remotely-piloted aircraft and the remote pilot station for the purposes of managing the flight.
|
| Department for International Development
| DfID |
|
| Department for Transport
| DfT |
|
| Detect and Avoid |
| The capability to see, sense or detect conflicting traffic or other hazards and take the appropriate action.
|
| European Aviation Safety Agency
| EASA |
|
| Electro-magnetic Environment
| EME |
|
| Ground Control Station |
GCS | See Remote Pilot Station
|
| High Altitude Long Endurance (MoD)
| HALE | Example platforms include: Global Hawk
|
| Improvised Explosive Device
| IED |
|
| International Civil Aviation Organisation
| ICAO |
|
| International Security Assistance Force
| ISAF |
|
| Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
| ISR |
|
| Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance
| ISTAR |
|
| Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems
| JARUS | Expert group of National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) and regional aviation safety organisations.
|
| (Visual) Line of Sight (CAA)
| LOS (VLOS) | Operating within Visual Line of Sight means that the Remote Pilot is able to maintain direct, unaided (other than corrective lenses) visual contact with the UA which is sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vessels, vehicles and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions.
|
| Low Observable | LO
| Low-observable (stealthy) through passive or active signature reduction techniques.
|
| Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MoD)
| MALE | Example platforms include: Reaper, Heron, Hermes 900.
|
| Ministry of Defence |
MoD | |
| Remote Pilot |
| A person charged by the operator with duties essential to the operation of a remotely-piloted aircraft and who manipulates the flight controls, as appropriate, during flight time.
|
| Remotely Piloted Aircraft
| RPA | An unmanned aircraft which is piloted from a remote pilot station.
|
| Remotely Piloted Air(craft) System
(MAA)
| RPAS | An unmanned air system includes a number of elements such as the ground-based control unit, ground-launch system and the Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle (RPAV) and all associated flight safety critical elements.
|
| Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle
(MAA)
| RPAV | A RPAV is defined as an aircraft which does not carry personnel and:
a. Is capable of sustained flight by aerodynamic means.
b. Is remotely piloted or automatically flies a pre-programmed flight profile.
c. Is reusable.
d. Is not classified as a guided weapon or similar one shot device designed for the delivery of munitions.
|
| Remote Pilot Station |
RPS | The component of the remotely-piloted aircraft system containing the equipment used to pilot the remotely-piloted aircraft.
|
| Sense and Avoid |
| See 'Detect and Avoid'
|
| Unmanned Aircraft
(CAA)
| UA | An aircraft which is intended to operate with no human pilot on board, as part of an Unmanned Aircraft System. Moreover a UA:
is capable of sustained flight by aerodynamic means;
is remotely piloted or capable of autonomous operation;
is reusable; and is not classified as a guided weapon or similar one-shot device designed for the delivery of munitions.
Note: RPA is considered a subset of UA.
|
| Unmanned Air(craft) System(s)
(MAA)
| UAS | Obsolete: An unmanned air system includes a number of elements such as the ground-based control unit, ground-launch system and the
Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle (RPAV) and all associated flight safety-critical elements.
See: Remotely Piloted Air System
|
| Unmanned Air Vehicle
(MAA)
| UAV | Obsolete: A UAV is defined as an aircraft which does not carry personnel and:
a. Is capable of sustained flight by aerodynamic means.
b. Is remotely piloted or automatically flies a pre-programmed flight profile.
c. Is reusable.
d. Is not classified as a guided weapon or similar one shot device designed for the delivery of munitions.
See: Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle
|
| Unmanned Combat Air System
| UCAS | A class of RPA with low-observable (stealth) design making it suitable for applications in high threat environments.
|
| United States Air Force
| USAF |
|
