Australian UAS organisations unite to advocate for the sector

The Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS) and Australian Certified UAV Operators (ACUO) are uniting under a single banner to better represent and advocate for the sector. AAUS announced on October 24 that this move is effective immediately and that it will serve as “the peak body for the uncrewed systems industry, while ACUO, after years of valuable contributions, will formally cease operations”.

AAUS will continue to drive policy, innovation, and industry development, while preserving the legacy and contributions of ACUO. Founded in 2009, ACUO has been instrumental in the development of Australia’s UAV operations, setting standards and advocating for the safe and responsible use of UAVs across various sectors.

“By uniting with ACUO, we are creating a stronger, more cohesive body that will be better positioned to champion the interests of our members and drive forward the growth of this dynamic industry,” Dr Reece Clothier, President of AAUS said. 

“We are all quietly proud of the foundations we laid,” Brad Mason, one of the seven founding members of ACUO, said. “I want to personally thank all the ACUO management committee members over the years who volunteered their time for us and the development of our industry. The Australian RPAS industry is incredibly innovative and the pace of development such that our consolidation is a logical next step to industry growth. I’m pleased to see the two organisations finally unite and I’m keen to see now what we can achieve together.”

As part of the unification, two of ACUO’s current committee members Aaron McKay and Danny Elassad will join AAUS. Aaron, Managing Director and Owner of Aus Aerial Media will take a vacant seat on the AAUS Board.