The Czech Civil Aviation Authority has issued the first Light Unmanned Aircraft (LUC) certificate in the ‘specific’ category to the Czech unmanned aircraft manufacturer Primoco UAV SE in accordance with European Regulation (EU) 947/2019.
Overall, this is the fifth certificate issued in Europe, with the previous ones relating to unmanned rotating wing aircraft. The company’s LUC authorisation allows it to conduct flight operations within the scope of the certificate, based on internal approval of operations at the company level. This is the highest authorisation that can be achieved under existing European rules. The company intends to use the certificate for development, test and training flights, as well as for inspections of the Czech Republic’s critical infrastructure and other activities within the framework of approved operational scenarios.
There are nearly 35,000 registered operators of unmanned aircraft systems in the Czech Republic, of which more than 300 fall into the “Specific” category. Primoco UAV SE was the first Czech applicant for the LUC certificate and is the first company to obtain it. In addition to the civil LUC approval, the company is also approved as a design and manufacturing organisation to EMAR 21 military standards, and the Primoco UAV One 150 is undergoing certification to NATO STANAG 4703. These approvals mean that the company is unique in the world in being able to offer aircraft manufactured to standards that are recognized by aviation authorities globally. Given the increasing legal regulations governing drone operations, certification is the only way to ensure compliance with the requirements of international aviation regulations.
Ladislav Semetkovský, the CEO and founder of the company, considers the certificate as tangible proof of the company’s professionalism and the technical excellence of the Primoco UAV One 150: “Over the last 18 months, thanks to the high standards of our team, we have successfully completed the approval process without fundamentally modifying any of our company processes. In preparing the documents for certification we drew on our seven years of experience, including the operation of the aircraft in several European countries. I would like to thank all our employees who participated in obtaining the certificate, the Ministry of Transport, which provided us with the necessary support, and our shareholders, who trusted us and also understood the importance of this document for our further development. Primoco UAV is the only company in the world that develops and manufactures a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), has also obtained a military aerospace design and manufacturing license and a civil LUC operating license. Primoco UAV is certified to NATO military standard STANAG 4703, owns a factory airport and is listed on the stock exchange. Our major goal now is to significantly increase our market share, building on our existing 4% share of global UAV mid-market sales.”
The Czech company Primoco UAV develops and manufactures the One 150 civilian and military unmanned aircraft. This aircraft can fly completely independently according to programmed flight plans, including fully automatic take-off and landing. One of the key features of the aircraft is its exceptional endurance, thanks to which it can spend more than 15 hours in the air non-stop at a cruising speed of 100-150 km/h, which represents a range of up to 2,000 km. With a maximum take-off weight of 150 kg and a payload of 30 kg, the One 150 can be used for a wide range of deployments in both civil and military applications. The company’s aircraft are currently used on three continents for inspections of product pipelines and distribution networks in the energy sector, ensuring border and coastal security, monitoring fires, and also in search and rescue operations.
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