SMi reports: A Q+A has been released with sponsor and exhibitor Mynaric AG, who will also be presenting at the UAV Technology conference in London

The 4th annual conference on UAV Technology, taking place on the 30th September- 1st October 2019 in London, not only invites the programme managers, requirement planners in the land, air, and maritime domains, but also operational users and industry technical experts to share their knowledge and experiences in the enhancement of UAV and C-UAS technologies at this international symposium.

With the upcoming UAV Technology conference 2019 on the horizon, SMi Group caught up with Mr Hubertus Von Janecek, Member of the Executive Board, Mynaric AG to discuss current developments, priorities and the upcoming event.

Snapshot of Mynaric's interview:

Q: What is Mynaric doing to enhance UAV Technology?

A: "UAVs exist to collect and send data. They enable operators to monitor activity over defined areas and are integral to defense plans and to the protection of key infrastructure and personnel.

We are enhancing UAV technology by extending the workbench of existing defence systems.

The current Achilles Heel for all UAV systems is communication. If you look at developments in theatres such as Afghanistan and the Ukraine you can see how catastrophic this Achilles Heel is proving. The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reports regularly on the effect that jamming is having an ‘operational impact' of the organization's UAVs. In some cases leading to actual, physical losses.

Laser communication eradicates this inherent weakness simply through its technological working principle. Our new airborne lasercom terminal uses beams with very small beam divergences which are physically inaccessible to radio frequency technologies.

In addition to preventing the loss of communication and the loss of platforms due to jamming, we are also enabling reliable real-time data transfer and addressing the challenge of increased data collection. Laser communication allows for data rates far in excess of those achieved by RF."

Q: What are the future challenges for UAS/UAV technology in supporting military operations?

A: "The major challenges remain focused on EW, such as jamming, and counter-UAV capabilities. The challenges for UAV technology are (1) improvements in data collection and data transmission between drones and to the ground; and, (2) changes in the design and ability of the airframe itself. In the field, data must be secure and free from jamming and tapping. It needs to be delivered to control and command in real-time to inform operational decision-making and analysis ‘in the moment'. There will also be a growing desire for networks of UAVs over various theaters communicating with each other in the stratosphere to widen UAVs' scope and application. Drones will also need to transform to be able to survive and function in increasingly high threat environments. They will need to become stealthier and become much more autonomous.

Mynaric believes it has the right connectivity product to solve the first piece of this UAV technology challenge."

The full interview is available on the event website, as well as the two day agenda and speaker line up at http://www.uav-technology.org/roboticstomorrow

Delegates will also hear an exclusive briefing on day one of the conference from Mr Hubertus Von Janecek presenting an exclusive briefing on ‘Laser communication — an alternative to RF communication in Disaster and Security Scenarios'. His presentation will cover:

• Analysis between laser communication and RF communication
• Information transfer between flying platforms
• Laser communication beams, data security & resistance to tapping
• Laser communication terminals & ground stations - size, weight and power
• Frequency coordination and regulation

Those who register by the 28th June at http://www.uav-technology.org/roboticstomorrow can secure a £200 discount.

UAV Technology Conference
30th September and 1st October 2019
Copthorne Tara Hotel
London, United Kingdom

Proudly sponsored by
Black Diamond Advanced Technology, Enterprise Control Systems Ltd, Fizoptika, Leonardo, Mynaric AG, Robin Radar Systems

For sponsorship and exhibition queries, please contact Justin Predescu on jpredescu@smi-online.co.uk

For delegate queries, please contact Alan Lam on alam@smi-online.co.uk

For media queries, please contact Natasha Boumediene at nboumediene@smi-online.co.uk.

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About SMi Group: Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world's most forward thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found at http://www.smi-online.co.uk