A Heron at RAAF Base Woomera. (Defence)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Airservices Australia have entered into a memorandum of agreement relating to the operation of the Heron remotely piloted aircraft in civil airspace.
The unmanned aircraft is expected to be flown from Rockhampton Airport in late June as part of Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2015, the largest combined exercise undertaken by the Australian Defence Force, marking the first time the Heron has been operated outside restricted military airspace in Australia, Defence stated. The agreement was signed during a ceremony in Canberra by Commander of Surveillance and Response Group Air Commodore Chris Westwood and for Airservices by Greg Hood, Executive General Manager for Air Traffic Control.
“The purpose of the MoA is to set out procedures for Airservices Australia and Air Force to work within, and allows the Heron to be safely flown in civil airspace without any significant impact on civil air traffic,” Air Commodore Westwood stated.
“The MoA aids both Airservices and Air Force by facilitating the initial operation and integration of remotely piloted aircraft into civil airspace based on Air Force’s mature and thorough airworthiness and aviation safety system.”
The RAAF currently operates two Heron aircraft from RAAF Base Woomera.