Hidden Level, Saab Continue Work On FAA Drone-Tracking Tests

The companies, based in Syracuse, New York, provide sensor and security technology and related systems and services in support of the agency’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program. The support effort began, the companies said, in the fall of 2018, when the FAA Reauthorization Act became law. The act was meant to continue the FAA’s funding through the end of the 2023 fiscal year.

In August 2020, the FAA announced it would test and evaluate systems that could detect uncrewed aircraft and mitigate the potential risks they might pose when operating near airports. The FAA chose five airports to take part in the tests, including Syracuse Hancock International Airport (KSYR); Atlantic City International Airport (KACY), Atlantic City, New Jersey; Rickenbacker International Airport (KLCK), Columbus, Ohio; Huntsville International Airport (KHSV), Huntsville, Alabama; and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA), Seattle, Washington.

At the time the FAA said the research “will lead to the implementation of new technologies that will make airports safer for passengers and traditional, crewed aircraft.” Testing began in February 2022 and will continue through September 30, 2023. The results from this testing and evaluation effort will aid in the development of a plan for certifying, permitting, and authorizing UAS detection and mitigation technology at airports, the agency said.

For the current program, Hidden Level said it deployed its Airspace Monitoring Service, essentially a drone-tracking system, last spring for FAA evaluation as a standalone system. The company also said its solution is also being evaluated as a complementary technology to Saab's SAFE Airport Event Management system.

"We are honored to participate in this crucial research program to provide additional tools to keep the National Airspace System safe," says Jeff Cole, Hidden Level CEO. "Airspace Monitoring Service is a scalable solution for major airports considering drone security."