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Regulating Drones in Maritime and Energy Sectors

Handbook of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Blank Rome LLP Associate Sean Pribyl, who co-leads the Firm’s Advanced Automation & Unmanned Systems team, authored the chapter on “Regulating Drones in Maritime and Energy Sectors” in the Handbook of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Second Edition, Springer International Publishing, 2020).

The handbook is a leading treatise on advanced automation in the aviation and maritime sectors, and covers multiple aspects of small unmanned aircraft systems (“sUAS”) and unmanned surface vessels (“USVs”), from design to logistics and legal issues. The handbook also serves as an important reference text for private industry, academic and research communities, manufacturers, users, practitioners, federal and state agencies, as well as all organizations that are and will be using advanced automation in a wide spectrum of commercial and government applications.

Sean’s chapter evaluates the potential cost-saving and safety-enhancing benefits and advantages of sUAS and USV in the maritime and energy sectors, and artfully describes operational limitations and pragmatic considerations of which potential sUAS and USV operators should be aware. He discusses emerging trends with sUAS and USVs in commercial maritime operations, and offers a compelling analysis of the jurisdictional limits and legal frameworks in emerging commercial markets, as well as an analysis of relevant regulatory developments in the complex and evolving legal regimes under which sUAS and USV operate in the maritime domain. 

For more information on the Handbook of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, please click here.