GMV will be implementing an innovative cybersecurity system for UAVs in Galicia

The purpose of this system is to protect the satellite-based communication and positioning systems used by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), so that they can be operated continuously in the area near the Rozas airport with the level of security required.

The Rozas Airport Research Center (CIAR)(1) is the testing infrastructure created under the Civil UAVs Initiative, which is a strategic program developed by Galicia’s regional government (Xunta de Galicia) for advancing civilian applications of UAV technologies. It is one of Europe’s pioneering testing centers for research and experimentation related to unmanned systems, and it offers the ground infrastructure and other resources needed to develop unmanned platforms and their associated systems and equipment.

Creation of this unique technological infrastructure, located adjacent to the airport and an industrial park specialized in unmanned aerial vehicles, has brought with it a need to protect the positioning and communication systems used by UAVs against potential cyberattacks.

To do this, the system will monitor the positioning signals sent by the satellites, as well as the signals used for the communication links between the control stations and UAVs.

The rapid increase seen in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been creating significant challenges in the field of security. The need to address these challenges has now taken on major importance, and the Civil UAVs Initiative in Galicia is contributing to this effort. It is focused on public and private uses for these systems, such as those involving response to urgent healthcare situations and other emergencies, sustainable management of forest and marine resources, prevention and suppression of wildfires, biodiversity observation and monitoring, and developing new forms of mobility. The overall purpose of the initiative is to further develop the area surrounding Rozas as an epicenter of aerospace research, development, and innovation (R&D+i), to position Galicia at the forefront of global developments in this area while also creating high-quality jobs.