Key Point: Advancing Harmonized Pre-Flight Risk Assessment for Drones in the Defense and Security Sector
Tokyo, October 2, 2025 – Terra Drone Corporation, a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology company headquartered in Japan, announced that its group company and a global leader in UAS Traffic Management (UTM) solutions, Unifly, has joined the European Defence Agency (EDA)-led project MIL-UAS-SPECIFIC 3 (“the Project”). The Project aims to establish a standardized approach to pre-flight risk assessment across Europe for operations involving drones in the defense and security domain, enhancing safety, interoperability, and efficiency.
Project Background and Purpose
The Project, led by the European Defence Agency (EDA), aims to harmonize the varying national standards for pre-flight drone risk assessment across Europe in the defense and security domain.
In Europe, drones are increasingly being deployed in public safety and governmental operations, including defense, disaster response, and security. In the defense and security domain, many operations involve high-risk flights such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) or over populated areas, which often require special authorizations or approvals from national authorities. In these applications, precise risk assessments and strict compliance with mitigation measures prescribed by national authorities are required, making the process complex and demanding advanced expertise. Furthermore, as risk assessment standards and processes currently differ from country to country, preparation costs and administrative burdens increase, creating challenges for cross-border operations.
To address this challenge, harmonizing the risk assessment standards used for obtaining drone flight approvals across Europe will enhance safety, interoperability, and efficiency, while reducing the costs and burdens of national application processes and facilitating smoother cross-border operations.
Why Unifly Joined the Project
Unifly develops and provides unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems that support the safe and efficient operation of drones. In April 2025, the company acquired EuroUSC Italia S.r.l. (“EuroUSC Italia”) as a wholly owned subsidiary, with the aim of building an integrated platform that seamlessly supports the entire process from pre-flight risk assessment to operational management (Note 1).
EuroUSC Italia provides global advisory services on drone regulations, safety, and pre-flight authorization processes, with a primary focus on risk assessment support based on the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework (Note 2). The framework has been adopted in more than 40 countries including EU member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Leveraging its proprietary risk assessment support software, EuroUSC Italia has been driving the digitalization and streamlining of complex application processes that require advanced expertise.
Building on this expertise, Unifly is participating in the Project through EuroUSC Italia. The company will collaborate with national authorities and operators to promote the harmonization and practical implementation of pre-flight risk assessment standards.
Project Overview
In the preliminary phase of this initiative, Unifly defined risk requirements for both air and ground domains, proposed a roadmap to update these definitions in line with regulatory changes, and developed a prototype of an online risk assessment tool. Building on these achievements, Unifly will play a central role in driving the Project forward.
Its planned contributions include:
- Refining requirements: Enhancing risk assessment standards by incorporating defense- and security-specific requirements.
- Tool enhancement: Upgrading the online tool with improved networking capabilities.
- External integration: Strengthening integration between the online tool and geographic datasets, such as population density, provided by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) (Note 3).
- Implementation support: Leading validation exercises and workshops to promote practical implementation.
Editor’s Notes:
Note 1 Related press release: https://terra-drone.net/global/2025/05/05/terra-drones-consolidated-subsidiary-unifly-acquires-shares-of-eurousc-italia-s-r-l/
Note 2 SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment): A framework for evaluating drone operation risks prior to flights in high-risk scenarios, such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and flights over populated areas.
Note 3 EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programme): An agency responsible for operating and promoting the use of the EU’s space programs (including satellite services). It also provides data such as population density used for risk assessments.
About Terra Drone Corporation
Terra Drone Corporation, headquartered in Japan, is a global leader in drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions. Dedicated to the mission of “Unlock ‘X’ Dimensions”, the company is committed to creating a prosperous future by “crossing” bridges—integrating diverse fields to foster innovation and find solutions. Specializing in surveying, inspections, agriculture, and UAS Traffic Management (UTM), Terra Drone serves industries such as oil and gas, construction, chemicals, energy, and agriculture.
With a portfolio of over 3,000 completed projects worldwide, Terra Drone has achieved significant milestones in the drone operations field. In July 2023, the company acquired a majority stake in Unifly, a world-leading provider of UTM platform, with deployments in over eight countries, followed by an investment in U.S.-based Aloft Technologies in February 2024, further expanding its capabilities in UTM.Terra Drone was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (Stock Code: 278A) on November 29, 2024. It also secured top spot in Global Drone Service Provider Rankings for 2024. Furthermore, at the Japan Startup Awards 2025 hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Terra Drone was honored with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Award in recognition of its initiatives addressing social challenges in the infrastructure and transportation sector.
Recognized by Drone Industry Insights as one of the top three industrial drone service providers globally for five consecutive years, Terra Drone aims to build the digital infrastructure necessary to unlock the full potential of drones and AAM solutions. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.terra-drone.net
About Unifly NV
Unifly is a leading aviation tech company dedicated to enhancing the safety and efficiency of autonomous aviation with cutting-edge technology. The Unifly platform acts as a crucial bridge within the UAS ecosystem, enabling the safe and secure integration of next-generation aircraft into the airspace. By digitizing and automating traffic management and integrating seamlessly with drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Unifly addresses the exponential growth in air traffic expected in the coming decades. The company has a proven track record of implementing more than ten commercial UTM deployments, establishing it as a world leader in this industry.
For more information, please visit the website at Unifly.aero or contact us at press@unifly.aero.
About EuroUSC Italia
EuroUSC Italia provides global advisory services on drone regulations, safety, and pre-flight authorization processes, with a strong focus on Europe. Leveraging its proprietary risk assessment support software, the company has been driving the digitalization and streamlining of complex application procedures that require advanced expertise. With a diverse client base ranging from major drone operators to aviation authorities and defense and military organizations, EuroUSC Italia has established strong expertise in the European market. In 2025, Unifly acquired all shares of EuroUSC Italia, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. By combining the technologies and expertise of both companies, they aim to build an integrated support framework covering the entire spectrum from pre-flight risk assessment to operational management.
For more information, please visit the website at https://www.eurousc-italia.it/en/
Media Contact:
PR Team, Terra Drone Corporation
Tel: +81-3-6419-7193
Email: pr@terra-drone.co.jp
