The Middle East’s first-ever test site for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter unmanned aerial systems (CUAS), and electronic warfare (EW) has been officially launched in Jordan today. The UAS test site was officially inaugurated during a series of successful test flights, which included the Kingdom’s first-ever drone delivery and drone inspection flights. During the drone delivery test, which was carried out by Deep Element in cooperation with the Jordan Defense and Development Bureau (JODDB), a Jordanian-made VTOL drone successfully delivered medical supplies from the test site to a targeted location near Kharrana Castle, southwest of the Azraq Wetlands – the first such utilisation of a UAS flight in the region. The launch of the test site signifies a major milestone in the Kingdom’s enablement of commercial and government drone operations, supporting the integration of UAS into the national airspace and providing a living lab for the development of future policies, trainings, certifications, and UAS and CUAS validations. The site will deliver a wide range of services and benefits to all UAS companies and partners, assisting them in the development of strategic operations and safety risk management plans, while also allowing them to test new UAS and CUAS technologies.
Commenting on the occasion, Brigadier General Dr. Yousef Alkhatib, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Planning, Organization, and Defense Resources at the Jordanian Armed Forces, said, “The inauguration of this UAS, CUAS, and EW test site is a momentous occasion for the Kingdom, demonstrating the continuous elevation of our national capabilities across all levels. As the first country in the Middle East to develop such state-of-the-art facilities, Jordan is once again indicating its readiness to take a leading role in ensuring the security, stability, and advancement of our region.”
This site will also allow for the testing of EW technologies to counter non-conformal drones, and will support developers in their research of these technologies under the umbrella of the Jordanian Armed Forces. The test flights were successfully managed by Altitude Angel’s market-leading GuardianUTM Enterprise system, a world-class UTM (unified traffic management) platform which has been implemented in order to allow the test area to enable safe, integrated flight operations. GuardianUTM Enterprise provides a ‘single source point-of-truth’ situational awareness and flight authorisations for those managing the test site airspace. The newly launched UAS test site will provide further added value to its partners and clients, aiding in the development of risk mitigation strategies, the preparation of aviation rule waivers and airspace authorisation materials, the provision of flight-testing infrastructure, and the acquisition of special airworthiness certificates in the experimental category, as needed.
Deep Element is a leading designer, developer, and integrator of total security solutions, with a specialised focus on airspace management, surveillance, and cybersecurity. The company works closely with the Jordanian Armed Forces and other security agencies across the Middle East and Africa, with its head offices located in Jordan. Altitude Angel is an award-winning provider of UTM (Unified Traffic Management) software, enabling those planning to operate or develop UTM/U-Space solutions and to quickly integrate robust data and services with minimum effort. Altitude Angel’s first-party solutions also power some of the world’s leading ANSPs, aviation authorities, and enterprises, including LVNL (Netherlands) and Avinor (Norway), empowering them with new capabilities to safely manage and integrate drone traffic into national operations. Today, Altitude Angel’s market-defining technology is providing a critical, enabling service on which the future of UTM, especially in controlled airspace, will be built across the globe. Altitude Angel was founded by Richard Parker in 2014 and is headquartered in Reading, UK.
