To prioritize and promote unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the United Kingdom, the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association (UAVS) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see resources focused on accelerating the implementation of UAV systems and making UK industry globally competitive.

The group will be lead by Simon Jewell, strategic business development director at BAE Systems, and David Barnes, business development director (air), Thales UK. However, membership of the group will not only come from the SBAC and UAVS Association but will also be sought from government and regulatory bodies, as well as other relevant industries.

Objectives of the new group include the development of cross-sector links, identifying opportunities for joint research and development, as well as addressing the question of links to adjacent sectors of air traffic management, spectrum management and communication.