SRNL: Savannah River National Laboratory UAS Team Receives National Recognition

– Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) team
is the recipient of the 2021 Department of Energy (DOE) UAS Unit Award, an award given by the DOE’s Office of
Aviation Management.
This is the second consecutive year that the SRNL Team has won the award, which is based upon the following
criteria: management, operations, maintenance, training, safety, and best practices. Nominations of UAS teams
were reviewed and judged by an external, independent panel consisting of subject-matter experts from the
Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense and civil aviation.
“The SRNL UAS Team continues to exceed expectations,” said SRNL Associate Lab Director for Global Security
Tammy Taylor. “In the coming year we intend to further grow and develop the UAS program, our relationships
and collaborative missions.”
The SRNL UAS team consists of a program manager, operations manager, an aviation safety officer, six FAA Part
107 certified pilots, and a trusted operator program level 2 remote pilot. Another individual serves as ground
control support and as a visual observer. The SRNL UAS Program currently has 20 UAS aircraft (rotary and fixedwing) in its fleet and the team works closely with the DOE-Savannah River Site aviation manager and safety officer
to plan and conduct on-site missions under an approved flight readiness review board.
In 2021, SRNL logged over 100 flight hours and more than 350 flights. Missions included exercises with the U.S.
Marines and Air Force, infrastructure inspections, aerial photography and videography, emergency response
exercise support, training and currency, research and development activities, and other U.S. government support.