UAVs are a new type of vehicle with entirely new behaviors, creating a gap with existing aviation laws and regulations, which are not fully compatible.

Nguyen Thanh, a researcher in microwave and acoustics engineering at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT), said a legal corridor must be developed to facilitate the growth of this sector and allow companies, organizations, and individuals to participate. At the same time, technical infrastructure needs to be strengthened.

He pointed out key differences between low-altitude UAVs and traditional aircraft, such as flight trajectories and the expanded ownership base that includes individual users. In the future, individually owned UAVs may account for a high proportion.

Allowing individuals to own UAVs, combined with flexible and spontaneous flight capabilities, makes traditional licensing and monitoring rules no longer ineffective.

Without proper management, UAVs could be exploited for dangerous activities, including illegal flights, smuggling, transporting prohibited items, or even serving terrorist or military purposes.

Thanh emphasized that for the UAV sector to develop responsibly, Vietnam needs a complete, transparent, and timely legal framework for enterprises, organizations, and individuals involved in UAV operations.

Predicting that low-altitude UAVs will be used widely in daily life, similar to cars and motorbikes, he said Vietnam will need an “air traffic police force” along with the necessary technical infrastructure.

To address these challenges, he proposed a low-altitude drone/UAV monitoring and management system consisting of four subsystems: a command and information-processing center; management of legal UAVs through 4G/5G networks; a low-altitude radar network to detect illegal UAVs; and aircraft suppression equipment(soft and hard suppression tools to neutralize dangerous UAVs if needed).

According to Nguyen Thanh, drone buyers must register with the management agency to obtain an identification code, similar to registering license plates for ground vehicles.

Vehicles need to be equipped with a 4G/5G communication module, connected to the ground mobile network, ensuring the device can report its coordinates and trajectory parameters during flight.

Regarding the radar network for detecting and monitoring illegal vehicles, the radar will be deployed as a network in areas requiring surveillance and management.

The system will compare information with the database of authorized aircraft and their licensed flight schedules to detect illegal vehicles.

In China, several localities are rolling out low-altitude UAV monitoring and management systems using a “crossing the river by feeling the stones” approach.

In Vietnam, Nguyen Thanh said he is proposing a test zone of 3–5 sqm before 2028 in key areas before 2030, in provincial-level areas before 2032, and to commune-level areas before 2035.

Safety in the airspace

According to Le Thi Phuong, Deputy Director of the Aeronautical Information Service Center under the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), the airspace is already congested with many types of aircraft operating simultaneously. The mass presence of low-altitude UAVs will further increase risks.

In reality, low-altitude UAV activities have already affected civil aviation. In 2025, Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa had to adopt multiple control measures, enhance warning systems, and tighten security after several aircraft were forced to change direction or suspend nighttime operations due to repeated drone interference in June. 

This shows that UAVs are not only potential risks but have become direct threats to civil aviation.

According to Phuong, VATM has modernized infrastructure and applied new technologies to support aviation safety services and accommodate new types of vehicles and equipment. For unmanned and low-altitude flight operations, some tasks are underway, including establishing a shared database.

In several leading UAV-adopting countries, UAV operations are tightly monitored. For example, in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires UAVs to have real-time electronic identification information attached, and set up a UAV operations and airspace committee to balance the needs of different users.

To ensure safety, the FAA also develops special flight corridors near densely populated areas, areas with many obstacles, and airports.

When a complete management framework and an effective surveillance force are established, UAVs will become a powerful driver to boost the low-altitude economy, a new economic sector that could contribute $10 billion to Vietnam by 2035.

The low altitude economy includes economic activities that take place below 1,000m, and can be expanded to below 5,000m depending on each country’s actual needs. It leverages manned and unmanned flight technology and low altitude smart networks to develop infrastructure, produce aerial vehicles, provide services, and ensure flight safety.

With advantages in geopolitics, innovation-friendly policies, and a young, dynamic workforce, Vietnam is facing a “once in a thousand years opportunity” to become a regional and global low altitude industry hub, creating 1 million jobs.

Du Lam