scope:

General

a. In 1991, the Ministry of Defence (MOD), looking at its responsibilities for airworthiness, decided that it was necessary to define the design and airworthiness requirements for Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Systems. This responsibility was delegated to the Joint Technical Requirements Committee (JTRC), chaired by ADRP, who tasked Sub-Committee 31 with defining these requirements.

b. Sub-Committee 31, now known as the UAV System Sub Committee, (which comprises of members from both MOD and Industry) held its inaugural meeting in March 1992, when its terms of reference (TOR) and structure were set out and later agreed by the JTRC.

c. With the internal reorganization and rationalization of ADRP, it was agreed in 1996 that responsibility for UAV Systems should come under the Joint Airworthiness Committee (JAC). Due to the close relationship between UAV System design requirements and those for manned aircraft, it was agreed with the Directorate of Standardization that UAV System design requirements should form part of Defence Standard 00-970.

d. Responsibility for sponsorship and co-ordination of Defence Standard 00-970 Part 9 lies with the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) - Air Systems - Ministry of Defence Airworthiness Regulator (MAR).