Magyar Kutatók 10. Nemzetközi Szimpóziuma 10 th International Symposium of Hungarian Researchers on Computational Intelligence and Informatics 791 Future Trends in UAS Avionics Bálint Vanek MTA SZTAKI, Hungary, vanek@sztaki.hu Abstract: The emerging role of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for both military and civil operations depends on the ability to gain unrestricted access to national airspace. One of the key issues that must be resolved to open up the skies for UAS is to be able to coexist safely and effectively with current manned operations in the national and international airspace. This includes several functions all related to avionics. Future UAS systems will perform autonomous mission management, contingency management, collision avoidance, inteligent system health monitoring based on a reliable flight control system platform. Keywords: UAS, avionics, navigation, guidance, control, fly-by-wire 1 Introduction It is foreseen that the UAS industry will significantly increase in the next decade, if the UAVs can routinely access the national airspace. Historically, industry has often been guilty of being unrealistically optimistic in predicting the rapid emergence of a viable civil and commercial UAV market, but has also played an effective advocacy role in driving initiatives in the area. It is evident that the potential of the civilian market is considerably larger than the military sector, although there are presently major constraints on this market emerging. The lack of a central procurement authority, the absence of legislation and regulations for safe flight in integrated airspace, combined with a diffuse potential customer base has meant that initiatives in the use of UAVs in nonmilitary applications have been relatively un-coordinated and ad-hoc in nature. Work has began in earnest to kick-start a market through a number of initiatives, mainly coordinated by SC-203 in US and by WG-73 of EU. There are several current and potential applications where unmanned vehicles can provide cost advantages and safety improvements and even fulfill jobs previously not possible for manned operations. To name a few future UAS platforms in military: agile UAVs (UCAV/URAV), solar powered stratospheric platforms for very long endurance, small UAV tactical transport (VTOL/STOL) to support frontline troops, replacing dull-dirty-dangerous jobs will emerge in the near future. Parallel with the military evolution civil applications are also waiting to emerge: low/medium altitude UAS for pipeline/power line surveillance, fishery/border