Below are the questions asked during the live event, along with their respective answers.
A: I was told specifically that DO-380 is intended to support the minimum performance standards for unmanned aircraft ground stations. Currently, there are two MOPS for unmanned aircraft systems. Rather than have the MOPS for these ground station components define the environmental tests (as they currently do), they can refer to DO-380, the same way that airborne equipment MOPS refer to DO-160.
Q: Will there be significant changes in the test levels in MIL-STD-464D?
A: There does not appear to be significant changes in this document. However, there is more emphasis on personal electronics and personal safety than before.
Q: What are some tests required by DO-380?
A: Temperature, Humidity, Shock and Vibration, Earthquake (under development), Waterproofness, Fluid susceptibility, Sand & Dust, Fungus, Salt Fog, Wind Resistance, Solar Radiation, among others.
Q: Thank you very much for the talk. Can you just please repeat the link names where to download standards?
A: For military documents, go to https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsSearch.aspx
For SAE, https://www.sae.org/standards/.
Q: Do you know if MIL-STD-1275 F is being released soon and if so what changes are anticipated in it?
A: MIL-STD 1275F is expected to be released in 2020. Unfortunately, I do not have any information about the contents at this time.
Q: Are there any gaps in the EMC standards? If so, how are these gaps addressed? Are any attempts made to perform gap analysis? Please advise.
A: It seems that gaps will always exist between documents, especially between commercial off the shelf and military/aerospace documents. This has to do with the vastly different environments of these devices, the critical nature of their functions, and the cost savings. This makes it difficult to place a COTS device into a more robust environment without careful analysis and additional testing. Each of these items must be considered on a case by case basis. However, there is likely going to be no attempt to fill this gap. Now between military and aerospace, very little gap exists and significant harmony now exists between these standards.
Q: Do any of the MIL or DO standards apply to “professional” or commercial UAVs (drones)?
A: Military Drones will need to meet the requirement of MIL-STD 461 and MIL-STD 464, as well as others (810 for example). I am not aware of a Drone Specific document at this time.
In the commercial area, specifically the RTCA, there are several documents to look at beyond the release of DO-380 this summer:
DO-377 – Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards for C2 Link Systems Supporting Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in U.S. Airspace
DO-366 – Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Air-to-Air Radar for Traffic Surveillance
DO-365 – Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems
DO-362 (with Errata) – Command and Control (C2)Data Link Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS)(Terrestrial)
DO-344 Volume 1 & 2 – Operational and Functional Requirements and Safety Objectives for Unmanned Aircraft System Standards
Q: Which EMC standards you recommend for airworthiness certification?
A: I am likely not the right guy to inform you on this, since there are a huge number of issues here, from software, navigation, flight control, environmental aspects, and several I am sure I am not thinking of.