Inspection of Unmanned Aircraft System Type Certification and UAS certification (Registered Unmanned Aircraft Inspection Organization)

1．Background and Purpose of the Unmanned Aircraft System Type Certification and UAS certification System

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including drones, are referred to as the "Industrial Revolution of the Sky". They are already widely used for aerial photography, agricultural chemical spraying, surveying, and infrastructure inspection. Further expansion of their use is expected in the future, including logistics and security in urban areas. They are anticipated to bring about transformation in industries, the economy, and society by solving various challenges.

To ensure the safety of flight for UAS and further expand their use, the Aeronautics Act was revised, establishing a system for the government to certify the safety of aircraft (Type Certification/UAS certification), and inspections for this purpose can now be conducted by Registered Inspection Organizations for UAS (Registered Inspection Organizations) registered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has been approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a Registered Inspection Organization to conduct inspections for aircraft safety certification. For information regarding tests for Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot Skill Certificates (Pilot License), please refer to the Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot Test Information Site.(Japanese Only)

2．Outline of Inspection for Type Certification and UAS certification by Registered Inspection Organization

（1）Outline of the Type Certification and UAS certification System

UAS certification is a certification system to ensure safety by inspecting whether the strength, structure, and performance of an unmanned aircraft system meet the Safety Standards in its design, manufacturing process, and current conditions.

Type Certification is a system primarily intended for mass-produced aircraft. It is a certification system to ensure safety and uniformity by inspecting whether the design and manufacturing process of each type (model) of unmanned aircraft system meet the Safety Standards and Uniformity Standards. For unmanned aircraft systems of a type that has obtained Type Certification, all or part of the UAS certification inspection conducted for each aircraft is omitted.

Type Certification and UAS certification are classified into Class I and Class II depending on whether flying over a third party is possible. Among these, inspections for Class II Type Certification and UAS certification can be performed by Registered Inspection Organizations. （Class I Type Certification and UAS certification are inspected by the government.）

Classification of Type Certification and UAS certification	Unmanned aircraft systems subject to certification	Validity Period
Class I Type Certification / UAS certification	Unmanned aircraft systems capable of flying over a third party.	Class I Type Certification: 3 years. Class I UAS certification: 1 year.
Class II Type Certification / UAS certification	Unmanned aircraft systems flying after implementing measures to control access by third parties (Not possible to fly over a third party).	Class II Type Certification: 3 years. Class II UAS certification: 3 years.

1

Inspection for Type Certification

Inspect compliance of each UAS type (model) with Safety and Uniformity Standards.

2

New Inspection for UAS certification

Inspect compliance of each UAS with Safety Standards.
(All or part of inspections omitted for UAS with Type Certification)

3

Renewal Inspection for UAS certification

Inspect compliance of each UAS with Safety Standards.
(Renewal inspection for Class I UAS certification is required annually / Renewal inspection for Class II UAS certification is required every 3 years)

For details regarding the Type Certification and UAS certification system, please refer to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website.

（2）ClassNK (Registered Inspection Organization)'s Capability, Types, and Scope of Inspection Services

ClassNK's capability, types, and scope of inspection services as approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a Registered Inspection Organization are as follows.

Capability of Inspection Services	Types of Inspection Services	Scope of Inspection Services
Capability of Type Certification inspection	Inspection related to Class II Type Certification of unmanned aircraft systems	Airplane Rotorcraft (Helicopter) Rotorcraft (Multirotor)
Capability of UAS certification inspection	Inspection related to Class II UAS certification for unmanned aircraft systems of a type that has obtained Type Certification (Current conditions inspection is only by document inspection)	Airplane Rotorcraft (Helicopter) Rotorcraft (Multirotor)

Please note that we cannot handle inspection services not listed above. Specifically, the following inspection services are covered:

（ａ）Capability of Class II Type Certification inspection

• ① New inspection for Class II Type Certification
• ② Renewal inspection for Class II Type Certification
• ③ Inspection for approval of changes to the design or manufacturing process of unmanned aircraft systems of a type that has obtained Class II Type Certification

（ｂ）Capability of Class II UAS certification inspection

• ① New inspection for Class II UAS certification
  
  • (i) Unmanned aircraft system of a type that has obtained Type Certification (Unmanned Aircraft System that has not been used for air navigation)
  • (ii) Unmanned Aircraft System of a type that has obtained Type Certification (Unmanned Aircraft System that has been used for air navigation): Limited to those for which maintenance, etc., has been performed by the designer, etc.
• ② Renewal inspection for Class II UAS certification: Limited to those for which maintenance, etc., has been performed by the designer, etc.

（3）Outline of Inspection by ClassNK (Registered Inspection Organization)

（ａ）Safety Standards and Uniformity Standards

The Safety Standards and Uniformity Standards for UAS Type Certification, etc., are as stipulated in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Civil Aviation Bureau Circular
"Inspection Manual of Safety and Uniformity Standards for
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Type Certificate, etc." (Issued on March 27, 2024)

（ｂ）Flow of Type Certification and UAS certification Inspection

The outline of the inspection flow by ClassNK (Registered Inspection Organization) is shown below:

① Class II Type Certification Inspection

② Class II UAS certification Inspection

To facilitate design inspections, we have issued the "Unmanned Aircraft System Type Certification Inspection Guideline [3rd Edition]" for those undergoing inspection by ClassNK (Registered Inspection Organization). An outline and table of contents can be found here.

3．Application for Inspection to ClassNK (Registered Inspection Organization)

Inspection for UAS Type Certification and UAS certification is, in principle, carried out upon
application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, followed by submission of an inspection application form indicating agreement to the terms and conditions for conducting inspections and payment of the inspection fee to ClassNK.Please note that additional fees may be incurred for Type Certification inspections depending on the inspection content.

（ａ）Application for Class II Type Certification Inspection

We request prior coordination with us regarding the inspection schedule, fee estimates, etc., before applying. Application documents will be provided at that time. Please contact the inquiry/application desk below.

（ｂ）Application for Class II UAS certification Inspection

For the inspection application form, please fill in the necessary information using the format below and send it by email or mail.

Class II UAS certification Inspection	Inspection Application Form	Class II UAS certification Inspection Application Form (Word version)
	Inspection Fee (Excluding Tax)	New (Newly Manufactured Aircraft) 2,800 yen Renewal and New (Used Aircraft) 7,400 yen
	Terms and Conditions for Conducting Inspections	UAS certification Inspection Terms and Conditions (June 13, 2024)

Please refer to the following for detailed instructions on applying for UAS certification inspection. If you apply with incorrect procedures, there is a risk of failure, so please be sure to read it before applying.
Class II UAS certification Application Guide

We have compiled frequently asked questions regarding UAS Type Certification and UAS certification inspection in the link below.
Please refer to them. To Frequently Asked Questions

For inquiries and applications regarding UAS Type Certification and UAS certification inspection, please contact the following. (Please check the Frequently Asked Questions above before contacting us).

Please note that we cannot handle inquiries regarding operational rules for unmanned aircraft systems, institutional matters, or procedures using the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Drone/UAS Information Platform System (DIPS 2.0). For such inquiries, please contact the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Unmanned Aircraft System Help Desk (+81-3-5226-2037).