Thales, Viasat finish BVLOS connectivity trials at Cranfield
Thales, Viasat and a group of European partners have completed flight trials in the United Kingdom to test a multi-link connectivity architecture for beyond visual line of sight drone operations. The work targets one of the biggest barriers to routine BVLOS flights in non-segregated airspace: a command-and-control link that remains trusted as aircraft move across changing coverage conditions.
The flights were carried out at Cranfield University under the European Space Agency’s Iris RPAS programme. The effort is designed to show how satellite communications, terrestrial mobile networks and C-band radio can work together inside a resilient command-and-control framework. Thales acted as system integrator. Viasat supplied satellite communications capability. TTP plc developed low-size, weight and power satcom terminals through its Gotonomi brand for Viasat’s Velaris network. Dimetor added real-time connectivity intelligence through its AirborneRF platform. Cranfield hosted the campaign using a Bulldog light aircraft from its National Flying Laboratory Centre.
The programme is aimed less at proving a single headline capability than at building evidence for regulators and airspace managers. The trials were structured to observe how multiple links behave under representative operating conditions and to create a growing data set on reliability, resilience and link availability. That evidence matters because BVLOS operations depend on constant command-and-control performance, especially when aircraft move beyond the practical reach of ground networks. A multi-layer architecture is intended to reduce the risk of lost connectivity by allowing operators and systems to rely on different communications paths as conditions change.
The companies said the flights validated trusted multi-link connectivity in a live and dynamic environment that combined satcom, cellular and C-band radio. That mix is widely seen as a likely model for future operational BVLOS deployments as drone activity scales and missions become more automated. Dimetor’s role addressed another critical issue: situational awareness of communications quality. For automated operations, knowing where terrestrial and non-terrestrial links are available, and at what performance level, is central to planning routes, managing risk and sustaining safe service continuity in flight.
The Cranfield campaign adds to a wider European push to assemble the regulatory evidence needed for routine BVLOS operations and, over time, urban air mobility services. If multi-link architectures continue to perform as expected, they could help give regulators the confidence to approve drone flights in shared airspace at larger scale. That would move the industry closer to regular long-range inspection, logistics and other commercial missions that cannot be supported by single-link communications alone.