Correct Answer : Israel
Israel becomes the first-ever country to allow drones in civilian airspace. Referring to this, the Israel's Ministry of Transport and Road Safety recently announced the country's first certification for unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) to operate in civilian airspace.
As per the reports, the certification was issued to the Hermes Starliner unmanned system by the Israeli "Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)", and was manufactured and developed by Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense electronics company.
Israeli Transport and Road Safety Minister Merav Michaeli stated, "I am proud that Israel becomes the first country which allows UAVs to operate for the benefit of agriculture, environment, fight against crime, the people and the economy."
Following the approval, the Elbit's drone will now be able to fly in civilian airspace like any other civilian airliner, without remaining restricted to non segregated airspace.
Reports have it that the Hermes Starliner can fly for up to 36 hours at an altitude of around 7600 m, and has capability to carry an additional 450 kg of thermal, electro-optical, radar and other payloads.
Further, it will also be able to participate in anti-terror as well as border security operations, perform maritime rescue and search, take part in securing public events, and in environmental inspection and commercial aviation missions.
The CAA has been supervising the manufacturing and design of the Hermes Starliner, which included the process of rigorous six-year certification that included extensive ground and flight tests.
As per the international aviation regulations, uncertified aircraft are prohibited from flying in civilian airspace for safety reasons, thereby limiting their operation to non segregated airspace.
Source : Times Of India
