Airspace Link Supports Air Force Contract to Establish sUAS Program, Enabling Safe & Secure Installation Operations at Joint Base Charleston

Airspace Link Delivers the Comprehensive Approach for Military Installations Striving to Manage Drones

In response to increasing efforts to integrate drones into broad use cases while ensuring airspace safety and security, Airspace Link, alongside Tepa, LLC, is supporting a contract awarded to facilitate the implementation and operationalization of a sUAS Program Office. The sUAS Program Office is specifically directed to integrate drones into broad mission areas across the installation. Airspace Link's work focuses on the program architecture and solutions that will establish the safe, secure and sustainable sUAS operations and critical airspace awareness capabilities at Joint Base Charleston (JB CHS). In this capacity, Airspace Link offers truly end-to-end capabilities—combining drone detection hardware, integrated software management, cross-jurisdictional coordination, regulatory compliance, and operational support—creating a unified system that addresses every aspect of the drone management lifecycle.

THE URGENT NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGE

Recent national media reporting, including a March 16, 2025 CBS 60 Minutes investigation, has highlighted that military installations across the United States face challenges from unauthorized drone operations that can potentially conduct surveillance, disrupt operations, or impact critical assets—all while exploiting gaps in detection capabilities.

According to the 60 Minutes report, military leadership has expressed significant concern about these capability gaps, with one retired general describing the situation as lacking "a sense of urgency" despite documented drone incursions at multiple installations.

Airspace Link's integrated detection and management platform directly addresses these capability gaps by providing military installations with the real-time awareness and response coordination they urgently need to secure their airspace against unauthorized drone activities.

WHY AIRSPACE LINK, WHY NOW

Airspace Link offers a unique combination of expertise in sUAS / cUAS regulations and technology, defense organizations, and program strategy paired with a comprehensive solution providing drone detection, operations support, integrated airspace management, and inter-agency coordination capabilities. Our AirHub® Portal system is operational today and positioned to support Joint Base Charleston and their community partners as a key part of a groundbreaking initiative to establish the programmatic blueprint and common capabilities for Air Force installation stakeholders.

For investors, this represents a significant market opportunity. With numerous defense installations nationwide requiring these capabilities, Airspace Link's proven technology platform positions us for growth in this critical security sector. For agency stakeholders, we offer a complete solution available nationwide that supports the full drone operations lifecycle and bridges the gaps between DOD, Federal (i.e. FAA, DHS, DOJ, et), State, and Local jurisdictions.

THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

In FY 2025, Joint Base Charleston established a small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) Program Office with Airspace Link providing critical contract support to conduct a thorough DOTmLPF-P assessment (Doctrine, Organization, Training, materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy). This comprehensive evaluation involved extensive interviews with stakeholders from both military and civilian organizations, allowing our team to bridge organizational divides while developing program solutions that meet immediate needs of the installation stakeholders and community.

Throughout the stakeholder engagements it was recognized that a community approach was necessary to ensure airspace security and operational safety. This approach spans the entire JB CHS operational airspace shared with other stakeholders including Charleston County Airport Authority, Boeing, Public Safety / Law Enforcement, general aviation and public/private sUAS operators. Engagement with local stakeholders led to collaborative efforts to implement the initial regional hardware, software and program support that provides the common operating platform for airspace awareness ensuring airspace safety and security. Simultaneously, the platform supports mutual aid agreements and coordinated security response to UAS incursions and incidents across regional jurisdictions.

The key to such a solution is Airspace Link's AirHub® Portal, a Drone Operations Management System (DOMS) that integrates aircraft detection technology and provides a common operating picture for all stakeholders. The platform leverages over 70 authoritative data sets to create comprehensive airspace awareness, while acting as the intermediary between public safety agencies and JB Charleston—pushing real-time information about airspace events and alerts when encroachments are detected. All data is protected through certified ISO 27001 and SOC 2 security controls ensuring all stakeholder information is secure.

The system also provides robust operational tools including preflight checklists, deconfliction with other operations, comprehensive risk assessments, and managerial approval processes that fully mitigate operational risks. It seamlessly integrates with the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), connecting with the FAA air traffic control tower—a crucial capability in a controlled and congested airspace environment. The platform also supports integration with existing authoritative data systems such as Esri GIS and various emergency management systems, allowing drone operation information to flow between critical systems.

EXPANDING BEYOND INSTALLATION BOUNDARIES

A fundamental insight from the assessment is that airspace is a shared asset, and security and safety doesn't stop at installation boundaries. Joint Base Charleston's unique environment—shared with Charleston International Airport and Boeing's manufacturing facility—requires coordination across the public jurisdictions and numerous organizations surrounding it. With many related Community Partnership Memorandums of Understanding and Mutual Aid agreements in play, AirHub can provide the technological bridge enabling secure communication and coordination between military personnel and local agencies ensuring sUAS operation security, safety, compliance and coordination. This infrastructure can also provide stakeholders full airspace awareness, supporting airspace safety, security, and coordinated response to UAS incursions across all jurisdictions.

THE PATH FORWARD

The JB CHS sUAS initiative is already producing rapid success in accelerating sUAS integration and generating sustained mission value. Initial operating capabilities are anticipated in 2025 supporting various use cases and mission areas.

By combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of military requirements, Airspace Link is helping create a program framework that not only serves Joint Base Charleston but provides a blueprint and roadmap for other installations to leverage and a path for shared sUAS infrastructure supporting all community stakeholders.

Looking beyond defense applications, the drone operations management platform can also provide free access to a personal version of the AirHub® Portal for recreational and individual commercial operators flying within the shared airspace. This ensures that all operators, whether recreational or professional, have access to fundamental data, operation planning, and authorization tools—establishing a comprehensive approach to airspace safety and regulatory compliance across all user groups.

THE BOTTOM LINE

In a world where drone safety, security and critical infrastructure has become a priority, Airspace Link delivers the comprehensive detection, operations management, and response capabilities that defense, security and public safety organizations need today. Our technology isn't a future promise—it's a solution that's operational now. We stand ready to support city, state, defense, and security stakeholders with the capabilities you need today. The time for drone detection and management is now. Airspace Link stands ready.