New Flight Trials Showcase Reliable Connectivity Solutions for Expanding Drone and Urban Air Mobility Markets

Representatives from Viasat, Thales, Dimetor, TTP plc, and the European Space Agency during the flight trials at Cranfield University.

(IN BRIEF) Viasat, Thales, and their partners have successfully completed flight trials demonstrating multi-link connectivity for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations. Conducted under the European Space Agency’s Iris programme, the trials focused on ensuring reliable and secure communication systems essential for integrating uncrewed aircraft into shared airspace. By combining satellite, terrestrial, and radio networks, the project aims to support safe command-and-control links and improve situational awareness. The results contribute to a growing evidence base needed for regulatory approval and future deployment, highlighting the importance of advanced connectivity solutions in enabling the next phase of uncrewed aviation and urban air mobility.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 21-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Viasat, alongside Thales and a consortium of industry and research partners, has successfully completed a series of flight trials demonstrating advanced connectivity solutions for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) uncrewed aircraft operations. The trials were conducted at Cranfield University using the National Flying Laboratory Centre’s Bulldog aircraft as part of the Iris Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) programme.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to validate reliable, resilient communication systems required for the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft into shared airspace. The Iris programme, supported by the European Space Agency, brings together expertise across satellite communications, terrestrial networks, airspace management, and aviation safety to develop solutions capable of supporting the next generation of aviation operations.

The trials focused on building real-world evidence around multi-link connectivity, a system that combines multiple communication channels to ensure continuous, secure command-and-control links. As BVLOS operations expand, maintaining uninterrupted connectivity is considered essential for ensuring safety, operational reliability, and situational awareness.

Joel Klooster, Senior Vice President of Aircraft Operations and Safety at Viasat, highlighted the importance of satellite communications in extending coverage beyond terrestrial network limits. He noted that the trials are helping to demonstrate how satellite-based systems can contribute to robust, safety-oriented connectivity architectures for uncrewed aviation.

As system integrator, Thales coordinated the trials to ensure a structured and safety-focused approach to evaluating connectivity performance. The project also involved contributions from Dimetor, TTP plc, and Cranfield University, each providing specialized capabilities such as flight planning tools, satellite communication terminals, and airspace intelligence solutions.

Jim Baddoo, Senior Expert at Thales, emphasized that the demonstration successfully showcased secure and high-availability connectivity in a dynamic operational environment combining satellite, cellular, and radio networks. The results represent a step toward deploying these systems in real-world applications.

Thomas Neubauer, CEO and Co-Founder of Dimetor, pointed out the importance of real-time connectivity awareness in ensuring safe and scalable drone operations. He highlighted how data-driven tools can enhance decision-making in increasingly complex airspace environments.

From an academic perspective, Paul Febvre, Professor of Space Engineering at Cranfield University, noted that such trials are essential for generating the evidence needed by regulators and industry stakeholders to support future technology integration.

Martin Wallis, Consultant at TTP plc, underscored the role of specialized satellite communication terminals in enabling reliable command-and-control links, particularly for uncrewed aerial vehicles operating beyond direct line of sight.

Davide Tomassini, Iris Project Implementation Manager at the European Space Agency, highlighted that BVLOS operations represent a significant portion of the future market potential in the uncrewed aviation sector. He noted that the Iris programme is helping to meet the stringent safety and regulatory requirements necessary for scaling these operations, including applications in urban air mobility.

The completed trials contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the development of trusted connectivity frameworks for uncrewed aircraft. By demonstrating how multiple communication technologies can work together in real-world conditions, the project is helping to pave the way for the safe expansion of BVLOS operations and the broader adoption of advanced air mobility solutions.

About Viasat

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are — on the ground, in the air or at sea — while building a sustainable future in space. In May 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on Facebook, Bluesky  Instagram, LinkedIn, X or YouTube.

Copyright © 2026 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat Signal are registered in the U.S and in other countries to Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Viasat, Inc. Contacts

Richard Jones, External Communications, Corporate & Commercial Services, Richard.jones@viasat.com

Lisa Curran/Peter Lopez, Investor Relations, +1 (760) 476-2633, IR@viasat.com

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group allocates €4.5 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies. Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion.

About Dimetor

Dimetor bridges the data gap between communication service providers, CSPs, and the aviation ecosystem, transforming network intelligence into safety critical insights for autonomous air and ground operations. Through its AirborneRF platform and complementary technologies, Dimetor enables reliable BVLOS drone connectivity, real time airspace awareness, ground risk intelligence, and GNSS resilience – empowering regulators, operators, and infrastructure providers to plan, scale, and secure connected airspace with confidence. For more information, visit dimetor.com

About Cranfield University

Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university with globally renowned expertise in science, technology, engineering and management. We deliver applied research that has real-world impact – 88% of our research is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021).

Our innovative education is enhanced by large-scale facilities and global industry partnerships. Cranfield is one of the few universities in the world to have its own airport – our global research airport is a unique environment for research. We are a six-time winner of the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize, the highest national honour for educational institutions.

Cranfield formed in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, the first postgraduate college of its kind. The School of Management was founded in 1967.

www.cranfield.ac.uk

Email: mediarelations@cranfield.ac.uk

About TTP plc

TTP (ttp.com), a leading technology and product development services company based in the Cambridge (UK) technology cluster, has delivered cutting-edge innovations for over 35 years. Drawing on deep cross-sector expertise, including extensive work in aerospace, TTP partners with global industry leaders to accelerate science and technology-driven breakthroughs. In the space sector, the company specializes in 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), user terminals and antennas for satellite connectivity (including UAVs), satellite payload systems, aviation communications, and government and defence solutions. TTP’s broad experience spans terrestrial and satellite communication technologies, ranging from system-level architecture to device design, across frequencies from VHF to V-band, and extending to land-based, aeronautical, and space-based platforms.

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

·       Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

·       Learn more about ESA’s contribution to Iris at https://connectivity.esa.int/archives/partnership-projects/iris-global

Media contact:
PR@viasat.com

SOURCE: Viasat, Inc.