Civilian drones in support of Austria: inside the Drohnenkorps Österreich

Martin Held is a former Jagdkommando (Austrian special forces) soldier, a trained airline pilot, founder and CEO of the drone service provider Hero Aero – and, most recently, the initiator of an association with big ambitions. The Drohnenkorps Österreich (DKÖ, Drone Corps Austria) has set itself the task of serving the common good of Austria as an interface between authorities, emergency organisations and pilots of civilian drones.

Mr Held, what is the Drohnenkorps Österreich and what is the idea behind it?
The Drohnenkorps Österreich is a non-profit association. The basic idea is to support Austria with drones. The starting point was this consideration: if someone – for example during a natural disaster or a search for a missing person – suddenly needs drones, personnel, equipment and know-how, the question arises of how these resources can be found and organised at all. This is exactly where the Drohnenkorps is meant to come in and create an interface through which existing human capital and existing technology can be made available in a targeted way.

What gap is the Drohnenkorps meant to close?
Many drones and drone pilots are currently not organised or networked with one another. Even emergency organisations are often not fully aware of the potential that exists. The Drohnenkorps is therefore meant to help pool these resources and clarify questions in advance: How do we communicate with each other? How do we work together? How do we synchronise in an emergency? The association could thereby become a central interface that makes existing capabilities usable more efficiently.

Capabilities and service areas of the Drohnenkorps Österreich.

How is the system intended to be organised – centrally or regionally?
The idea is explicitly not a centrally controlled structure. Instead, there is to be strong regional involvement. Branch associations or state corps are planned, which know the local conditions better. A state corps knows, for example, which drones are available in a region or where unused resources lie. The Drohnenkorps platform could take on supporting tasks, for instance on legal questions regarding flight operations, on insurance or on acting as operator in an emergency.

What tasks can the association take on besides deployments?
The association does not see itself solely as a deployment structure. It can also advise or support projects. One example is enquiries from hunting associations in which drones are used, for instance, for rescuing fawns or other hunting applications. Here an association could point out options or also support funding. A first project is, for example, the planned use of a drone by a municipality for various purposes such as fawn rescue, inspections of mountain torrents or construction-site documentation.

What additional opportunities does the association see through the use of drones?
Shared use can create synergies. A drone procured for a municipality, for example, could also be used by other organisations. It is also conceivable, for example, that people who can no longer take an active part in deployments themselves control drones remotely and thus continue to provide support. This could give rise to new forms of cooperation and make better use of existing capabilities.