As Part of the National Scientific Programme - Security and Defence a Thematic Seminar on Enhancing the Crisis Capabilities through Unmanned Aerial Systems Was Held at the UNWE

The National and Regional Security Department in compliance with the activities planned under the National Scientific Programme - Security and Defence /NSP S&D/ organized a thematic seminar on Enhancing the Crisis Capabilities through Unmanned Aerial Systems.

The Head of the National and Regional Security Department and Coordinator of NSP S&D for the UNWE Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov opened the event, introduced the Programme and the partners involved in it and pointed out that the theme about the enhancement of the crisis capabilities through unmanned aerial systems is very actual and he hopes that the discussion within the forum will provide the necessary answers and show the possibilities for the use of unmanned aerial systems in various crisis situations.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov

Dr. Hristo Stanev, who has been Head of the Military Air Traffic Control Sector at the Air Force Command, holder of PhD degree from the UNWE National and Regional Security Department on the State Air Traffic Management System Development in the Republic of Bulgaria, presented the current state air traffic management system in the Republic of Bulgaria in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Act and the Defence and Armed Forces Act of the Republic of Bulgaria and introduced and introduced the attendees to the basic regulations governing the operation of aircraft and unmanned aerial systems.

He also examined the possibilities of using drones in carrying out special operations under the Regulation 923/2012, i.e. police and customs tasks, air traffic monitoring and tracking, environmental control operations carried out by or on behalf of public authorities, search and rescue operations, medical flights, evacuations, firefighting and derogations necessary to ensure the safety of heads of state, ministers and public officials of similar rank.

Dr. Stanev outlined that it is necessary to create an appropriate legal framework for the use of unmanned aerial systems, as it is currently based only on regulations and a decree aimed at civil operators of unmanned aerial systems rather than the state structures that use them.

Lect. Ognyan Ognyanov from the National and Regional Security Department and Stefan Hristozov from the Unmanned Systems Bulgaria took an active part in the discussion pointing out as major problem of our country the delay in the production and implementation of unmanned aerial systems.

Dr. Veselin Vassilev, Executive Director of the Aerospace Technologies, Research and Applications Cluster, explained the possibilities of European funding for such activities and addressed the problems related to the lack of specific programs for innovation in the field of security and defense.

The event was attended by students of speciality National Security at UNWE and students from the University of Library Studies and Information Science and Technology, who took part in the discussion asking lots of questions.