Honeywell Fields Advanced Ground Control System for Large Drones

Rapid growth defines the future of flight for commercial drones. The world’s inventory of small drones weighing under 55 pounds reached 2.8 million in 2024 and is expected to grow to around 4.5 million by 2029 ¹.  

With diverse applications spanning agriculture, infrastructure inspection, public safety and logistics, small drones are being rapidly integrated into the daily operations of enterprises worldwide. It's only a matter of time before regulatory agencies add drones heavier than 55 pounds to “open” categories that don’t require special operational waivers.   

Larger drones will be able to carry heavier payloads of sensors or cargo. Satellite communications (satcom) technologies will enable long-range and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations with two-way data transmission. The ground control station (GCS) is central to BVLOS operations.

Large Drones Rely on GCS Technology   

As drones become more autonomous, the GCS is also evolving from a piloting platform to a mission orchestration system overseen by a ground control operator. The operator will monitor the mission, ensuring operational safety and regulatory compliance, while the drone handles navigation, avoids obstacles including other aircraft and executes its mission autonomously.    

Honeywell is helping to define the future of GCS technology. We are applying our extensive domain expertise in satcom, BVLOS operations and regulatory compliance to develop a scalable, aviation-grade GCS that enables safe, autonomous and integrated large drone operations for commercial, defense and advanced air mobility (AAM) missions.

The European Union’s SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking identified ground control stations as a key enabling technology in the transition from piloted to automated flights. Honeywell is leading the OperA (Operate Anywhere) project for SESAR 3 and staged a series of GCS demonstrations for the team in 2024.

The Honeywell platform supports operators throughout all mission phases, from mission planning to takeoff and landing, while enhancing safety, efficiency, reliability and compliance. It features a simple and intuitive operator interface to reduce operator workload and enhance decision-making. And it's highly scalable, ranging from a single operator station to a central operation with multiple stations as operators' needs evolve. 

Regulators Consider New Pathways to Large Drone Operations 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) currently require drones weighing more than 55 pounds to obtain an agency waiver, which involves stringent operational approvals, airworthiness certifications and risk assessments. 

Both the FAA and EASA are actively working to update regulations for larger drones, which could fundamentally reshape commercial drone operations. The entire unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) community is closely watching as regulatory agencies consider new rules that could open significant opportunities for commercial operators across a range of industries.

Honeywell is ready to help its customers capitalize on those opportunities with new AAM technologies including GCS platforms that meet the specific needs of operators of these larger drones.

As the Honeywell ground control station continues to evolve, we look forward to working with other aviation industry innovators to help realize the full potential of unmanned aerial vehicles.