Defence now dominates testing at UAS Denmark

The pace of development in the drone sector has accelerated dramatically in recent years, according to Michael Larsen, head of UAS Denmark Test Center.

- Generally, we are experiencing just how quickly things are moving. Both companies and their products are maturing at an extraordinary rate and transitioning into an industrialised phase, Larsen saýs.

Defence Nordic spoke with Larsen at the International Drone Show in Odense, organised by UAS Denmark Test Center and Odense Robotics.

- Just a few years ago, most projects and tests were relatively small-scale. Today, we are operating in a completely different league.

The test centre has been operating since 2011, when Boeing conducted the first drone trials at Hans Christian Andersen Airport.

Today, the airport supports around 6,000 drone operations annually, measured as take-offs and landings. That figure has tripled since 2021, when registrations began.

Larsen says the speed of development has exceeded most expectations.

- I do not think many people could have foreseen the extent to which the war in Ukraine would accelerate development and innovation.

- The constant cycle of new drones and counter-drone systems being developed has driven progress at remarkable speed. It is extraordinary, he says.

UAS Denmark Test Center serves as a national hub for testing and developing unmanned systems. According to Larsen, the organisation has two core functions.

The first is providing facilities for testing and development, including a growing business park designed to bring together companies, researchers and other stakeholders across the sector.

The second is operating a test environment centred on Hans Christian Andersen Airport and the surrounding area, including the ability to conduct flights over water.

- Here, companies can operate larger and more complex drones and test counter-UAS technologies at scale across a range of environments.

The test centre receives applications from companies and organisations across Europe and beyond. 

In many cases, interest is also driven by strategic considerations, including access to the Nordic market, one of Europe's most active regions for defence investment and rearmament.

Larsen noted a significant increase in defence-related activity, a trend also reflected at the International Drone Show, where a large share of exhibitors are showcasing military or dual-use technologies.

For UAS Denmark Test Center, around 80 percent of testing activity is now defence-related.

The shift has affected day-to-day operations, requiring higher levels of security, both in organisational culture and physical infrastructure, including the establishment of secure facilities.

- In the early years, most customers were focused on civilian applications, such as transporting blood samples. That has shifted almost entirely towards defence, Michael Larsen says.

- Many companies have changed their focus from civilian markets to defence. It is a completely different world.