BY ORDER OF THE
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE POLICY DIRECTIVE 11-5
7 JUNE 2019
Flying Operations
SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY
ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available on the e-Publishing web site at
www.e-Publishing.af.mil for downloading or ordering.
RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication.
OPR: AF/A3TS
Supersedes: AFPD11-5, 8 October 2015
Certified by: AF/A3
(Lt Gen Mark D. Kelly)
Pages: 4
This directive implements Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 3255.01, Joint
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Minimum Training Standards. It provides the policy to ensure safe
and successful Air Force small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) operations. This directive
applies to all regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units. Ensure that all
records created as a result of processes prescribed in this publication are maintained in
accordance with Air Force Manual 33-363, Management of Records, and disposed of in
accordance with the Records Disposition Schedule in the Air Force Records Information
Management System. Refer recommended changes and questions about this publication to the
Office of Primary Responsibility using Air Force Form 847, Recommendation for Change of
Publication; route Air Force Form 847 from the field through the appropriate functional chain of
command. This publication may not be supplemented.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
This document has been substantially revised and needs to be completely reviewed. Section 4,
Publications Structure, was deleted; and the roles and responsibilities sections have been
updated.
1. Overview/Background. The Department of Defense categorizes Unmanned Aircraft
Systems into five Groups based on the attributes of weight, altitude and speed.
1.1. Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS). A Group 1, 2, or 3 unmanned aircraft and
its supporting ground control elements, that does not carry a human operator, can be operated
