Compliance Foundation: Embedding SORA into your UAS design from the outset
Embedding SORA into your design process or into your approval process early, rather than treating it as a final compliance gate, gives your customers a wider operational envelope from day one.
Containment
Containment at Medium Robustness is one of the most consequential, and most underestimated, requirements in a SORA application. Getting the architecture right early avoids costly modifications. We assess your platform against medium robustness requirements and build the evidence needed to support the claim in a UK SORA application.
Heavy UAS: Above 25kg
UAS above 25kg operate exclusively in the Specific Category under UK SORA. Platform size and speed directly influence the intrinsic Ground Risk Class, which in turn determines the operational envelope available to your customers. We help manufacturers understand that relationship early, so that design decisions and SORA outcomes are aligned from the outset.
SORA Applications during Test & Evaluation
T&E operations may not fit into the Open Category or under PDRA-01 and may require a SORA application. We help you structure those applications, recognising that the platform is still under development, with an objective to support a flight volume and risk mitigations that align with your Test & Evaluation needs.
SAIL Marking
SAIL level determines the OSO robustness requirements your customers must meet to operate your platform. We map the likely SAIL profile across realistic operational scenarios, identify the design parameters that most influence it, and support manufacturer-level declarations that streamline the downstream authorisation process.
Operational Authorisation for OEM Platforms
Where a manufacturer operates their own platform commercially, we support the Operational Authorisation process directly, supporting the SORA application preparation, the engagement with the RAE(F) and the CAA, and managing the authorisation through to issue.
How we work
Whether you need a technical review of your design from a SORA perspective, a full containment case, or support through to CAA authorisation, we shape the engagement around where you are in the development cycle.
01. Platform & Design Review
We review your platform's design, performance envelope, and intended operational context, establishing where your UAS sits against SORA requirements and identifying the compliance work needed before any application or assessment begins.
02. Compliance Case Engineering
We help you build the technical safety case for your platform, whether that's a containment case for medium robustness, a SAIL Marking application, or a SORA operational authorisation. Every element is built around your specific design and operational context.
03. CAA Engagement & Authorisation
We help you manage your submission to the CAA, develop the right technical dialogue with their regulatory team, and work through findings until authorisation is granted. You get a single point of contact from first submission to approval.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
sora-ready uas and flightworthiness. faqs
Does UK SORA place technical requirements on the drone itself, or only on how it is operated?
Both. Some OSOs identify design requirements that the drone must comply with, and depending on the SAIL level, compliance may be demonstrated by declaration at SAIL I and II, rising to more formal evidence requirements at higher SAIL levels.
What is an RAE(F)?
A Recognised Assessment Entity for Flightworthiness (RAE(F)) is approved by the CAA under CAP 722J to carry out technical assessments of UAS against UK SORA requirements.
What role does an RAE(F) play?
The RAE(F) performs the expert technical evaluation that informs the CAA's decision to issue the certificate for specific SORA design requirements.
The CAA requires their review for:
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M1A Strategic mitigation – sheltering if UAS >25kg
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M2 Effects of UA impact dynamics are reduced
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Containment requirements at medium or high robustness
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Tethered containment requirements
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SAIL3-6