China’s Sharp Sword Wins Technology Prize

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The Sharp Sword UAV, China’s stealthy attack drone, just won second place in the National Science and Technology Advancement Prizes. Considering the secrecy surrounding stealth drones to come out of China—there are relatively few photos of the Sharp Sword available, particularly as opposed to, say, the J-20 fighter—the Sharp Sword’s victory is pretty noteworthy. Continue reading →

The Space Between: Who Controls the Airspace Where Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Fly?

By Joshua S. Turner, partner and co-chair of the UAS Practice, and John T. Lin, associate in the Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, DC

 No one disputes that the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over “navigable air space,” which has historically begun “above the minimum safe altitudes of flight,” including the airspace needed to ensure safety in the takeoff and landing of aircraft.  The FAA generally sets the minimum safe altitude as “500 feet above the surface [of non-congested areas], except over open water or sparsely populated areas.”  Continue reading →