Field Operations · Controlled Procedure
VC-SOP-0131 — Pollinator Drone Swarm Tasking & Deconfliction
The controlled procedure for assigning sorties to the Pollinator Drone Swarm and deconflicting shared airspace — allocating airspace blocks, enforcing separation minima, and resolving conflicts between concurrent swarm operations.
One airspace block, one tasked sortie. No two swarm operations may hold the same airspace block in the same time-block without an approved separation plan meeting the minima in Section 6. This SOP governs tasking and deconfliction only — charging, flight discipline, and maintenance are governed separately by VC-SOP-0313 and are not duplicated here.
1. Purpose
To define the controlled procedure for tasking the Pollinator Drone Swarm and deconflicting its operations — assigning sorties to objectives, allocating airspace blocks and time-blocks, applying separation minima, and resolving conflicts when concurrent operations contend for the same volume.
2. Scope
Applies to all mission tasking and airspace deconfliction for the Pollinator Drone Swarm across the canopy operating area under the Spectral Canopy Array. Covers sortie assignment, airspace-block allocation, separation rules, and conflict resolution between concurrent swarm operations. Flight operations — charging, launch/recovery, flight discipline, and maintenance — are governed by VC-SOP-0313 and are explicitly out of scope here. Cultivation tasks the swarm supports are scheduled under VC-SOP-0101.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sortie | A single tasked swarm objective with a defined drone count, airspace block, time-block, and priority. |
| Airspace Block | A bounded operating volume (zone × altitude band) allocated to at most one sortie per time-block. |
| Time-Block | A scheduled window (default 30 min) during which an airspace block is reserved to a sortie. |
| Separation Minima | The minimum lateral and vertical spacing required between concurrent swarm operations. |
| Deconfliction | The Swarm Marshal's resolution of contention for the same airspace block or violation of separation minima. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Swarm Marshal (Owner) | Approves the tasking plan; allocates airspace blocks; adjudicates conflicts; owns this SOP. |
| Tasking Planner | Builds the sortie schedule from objective requests; assigns drone counts and priorities. |
| Airspace Coordinator | Maintains the airspace-block map; verifies separation minima before activation. |
| Flight Operations Lead | Receives approved tasking and executes flight per VC-SOP-0313; reports availability. |
| CHLORA | Holds the live airspace-block ledger, detects separation violations, and issues automatic stand-downs on conflict. |
5. Equipment & Pre-Checks
- Live airspace-block map from CHLORA with current allocations and reservations
- Objective request queue with priorities and required drone counts
- Swarm availability roster confirmed flight-ready per VC-SOP-0313
- Spectral Canopy Array status and any no-fly volumes (e.g. active containment overflights)
- PhytoSense Mesh wind/visibility feed within tasking limits for the time-block
6. Airspace-Block & Deconfliction Matrix
| Zone (Airspace Block) | Default Time-Block | Priority Tier | Separation Minima (lateral / vertical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z-N Canopy North · Band A (0–8 m) | 06:00–18:00 · 30-min slots | Routine pollination | 15 m / 3 m |
| Z-S Canopy South · Band A (0–8 m) | 06:00–18:00 · 30-min slots | Routine pollination | 15 m / 3 m |
| Z-C Central Bay · Band B (8–16 m) | 06:30–17:30 · 20-min slots | Survey / metrics | 20 m / 4 m |
| Z-Q Quarantine Overflight · Band C (16–24 m) | By window only | Restricted | 30 m / 6 m · single sortie |
| Z-E Emergency Corridor · all bands | On demand · preempts all | Priority override | Clear-the-volume; all other sorties stand down |
7. Procedure
7.1 Objective Intake & Sortie Build
- Tasking Planner pulls the objective request queue and assigns each a priority tier per Section 6.
- Build sorties: for each objective set the drone count, target airspace block, and time-block.
- Confirm requested drones are flight-ready per VC-SOP-0313; under-resourced sorties are re-scoped or deferred.
7.2 Airspace-Block Allocation
- Airspace Coordinator reserves one airspace block per sortie per time-block against the CHLORA ledger.
- Verify no overlapping reservation exists; restricted Z-Q overflights are single-sortie and require an approved window.
- Hold the Z-E emergency corridor clear at all times; it preempts all routine sorties.
7.3 Separation & Activation
- Confirm planned tracks meet the lateral/vertical separation minima for the block (Section 6) against any adjacent concurrent sortie.
- Swarm Marshal approves the tasking plan; CHLORA activates the reservations and begins live separation monitoring.
- Flight Operations Lead executes the sortie under VC-SOP-0313; tasking does not relax any flight rule.
7.4 Conflict Resolution
- On a detected separation violation or double-booked block, CHLORA issues an automatic stand-down to the lower-priority sortie.
- The Swarm Marshal adjudicates: re-slot the time-block, re-assign an alternate airspace block, or reduce drone count to restore separation.
- An emergency-corridor (Z-E) activation immediately clears the volume; all conflicting sorties stand down and re-task after the corridor closes.
7.5 Quality Checkpoints
- Every sortie holds exactly one airspace block per time-block
- Separation minima verified against all concurrent sorties before activation
- Restricted Z-Q overflights single-sortie with an approved window
- Z-E emergency corridor confirmed clear and preemptive
- Tasking plan approved by Swarm Marshal and ledgered in CHLORA
8. Records
- Approved tasking plan with sorties, airspace blocks, and time-blocks (retained 5 years)
- Airspace-block ledger and reservation history (CHLORA)
- Separation-violation and stand-down events with adjudication notes
- Z-Q restricted-window approvals and Z-E corridor activations
- Availability roster cross-filed to VC-SOP-0313
9. References
- VC-SOP-0313 — Pollinator Drone Swarm Flight Operations (charging, flight, maintenance)
- VC-SOP-0101 — Specimen Cultivation Cycle Management
- VC-SOP-0405 — PhytoSense Mesh Calibration
- VC-SOP-0142 — Spectral Canopy Array Operations
- Monitoring Systems · Operational Metrics
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2086-08-12 | Swarm Marshal | Initial issue; sortie tasking and airspace-block concept established. |
| B | 2088-04-25 | Swarm Marshal | Separation minima table and time-block reservations added. |
| C | 2089-09-30 | Swarm Marshal | Z-E emergency corridor preemption and Z-Q restricted overflight rules added. |
| D | 2090-05-22 | Swarm Marshal | Scope split clarified vs. VC-SOP-0313; automatic CHLORA stand-down on conflict. CBO approval. |