Update to Scientific Applications of Unmanned Vehicles in Svalbard (UAV Svalbard Update)

This is chapter 5 of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report 2021.

Unmanned systems are an emerging technology adding value to an increasing number of research fields. The previous SESS report presented the first inventory of all the research work in Svalbard that utilised marine or aerial unmanned vehicles. In this update, we found that since last year’s report, 15 new articles that used unmanned systems for research in Svalbard have been published. Compared to the 49 publications that were identified in the previous review period of 2007-2020, this is a clear indication that unmanned systems have a growing importance for scientific applications in Svalbard. We identified that most research is performed using unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones) with quite basic operational missions. Mostly, commercial off-the-shelf multirotor drones are used.

In this report, we also examine the new EU drone regulations that will be applicable in Svalbard from 1 January 2022. We give an overview of the most relevant operational categories for scientific drone operations in Svalbard and their requirements. Furthermore, we discuss the most significant differences from the old Norwegian drone regulations and give instructions on how pilots can be certified within the new rules. The information is aimed at Norwegian and non-Norwegian drone pilots.