uAvionix Taps Viasat to Deliver Global Communication for Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles

Viasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, has announced collaboration with uAvionix, a pioneer in the development of certified avionics for crewed and uncrewed aviation. uAvionix will join Viasat’s Velaris Partner Network.

Following a strategic alliance agreement between the companies to develop products and services for the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) market, uAvionix has begun integrating Viasat’s Velaris module into its compact muLTElink airborne radio system. Powered by Viasat’s global L-band network, Velaris provides secure, resilient, L-band, communications for commercial UAVs. Velaris enables real-time monitoring for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) UAV operations, with seamless integration into commercial airspace.

uAvionix’s system combines C-band, LTE, ISM and Viasat L-band, and carefully monitors and manages each data link using a DO-377A Link Executive Manager (LEM) while automatically registering aircraft with uAvionix’s SkyLine Cloud Managed BVLOS service.

SkyLine is the first cloud-based command and control network that combines fleet management, network health monitoring, detect & avoid, and seamless make-before-break roaming between multiple radio networks and ground stations and is purpose built to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) safety cases.

During system integration testing in 2023, uAvionix configured and integrated a Velaris development terminal with its SkyLine system and established a “very stable streaming connection” in a matter of just days.

Cyriel Kronenburg, VP Aviation Networks at uAvionix said: “uAvionix successfully flew with Velaris connectivity in northern Montana. Notably, where the LTE radio had good performance on the ground before take-off, and the SkyLink C-band ISM radios had good performance while in our area of operations, the satcom let us close the gap by providing phenomenal performance with a very stable streaming connection while enroute from the airport to our deployed SkyStations. It’s a huge testament to the ease of use of satcom and how supportive the Viasat team has been.”

Joel Klooster, SVP, Flight Safety and AAM at Viasat, said: “uAvionix is a highly respected and innovative avionics and software company. This partnership formalizes a number of initiatives and programs the two companies are collaborating on, and we look forward to future projects. uAvionix has a proven track record of developing cutting-edge technology for the aviation industry, and our combined expertise will lead to even more advancements in the field.”