CIAR (Rozas Airborne Research Center)

Rozas Airborne Research Center (CIAR), located at Rozas Aerodrome (Lugo), is a joint initiative of INTA, Xunta de Galicia through the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) and the Galician Institute for Economic Development (IGAPE), and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

It is a pioneering test centre whose main goal is to integrate both manned aerial platforms for research and the new advances in RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems), in a research centre that offers the infrastructures and ground equipment which are necessary in order to develop aircraft systems and evaluate campaigns to be carried out, so that flights can be conducted safely and efficiently.

PAI is currently based in CIAR. It features all the required aviation infrastructure in order to ensure aircraft safe operation: operations control centre, runway, taxiways, platforms, hangars, air navigation aids, etc. In addition, it is also planned to install the facilities required to support the activities of PAI, such as laboratories, workshops, offices, meeting rooms, warehouses, additional halls, etc.

Furthermore, CIAR has been conceived as a neural centre to coordinate and support all PAI activities and a formalized agreement has been achieved with the regional authorities in charge of R&D policy, to connect it through a high speed line with the regional computing centre CESGA.

Rozas Airborne Research Center aims to be a centre of reference to support aerial surveys for research applications with both manned and unmanned aircraft.

In the overall, CIAR offers a privileged geographical location in the northwest of Iberian Peninsula, especially for UAVs and manned research aircraft. Availability of air restricted areas and low local air traffic density contribute to the suitability of the site for this kind of operations.

Project co-funded with European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)