A flight termination system from UK-based Flarebright has been awarded a SAIL Mark by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, according to Marshall Aerospace, which carried out the assessment under a CAA grant programme.
The certificate itself is not new. The CAA's register of published SAIL Mark certificates lists certificate SAILCERT0032026 for "Extera V2.1", held by Flarebright Ltd, with the scope "Component – Flight Termination System", RAE(F) Marshalls of Cambridge and a date issued of 29 Sept 2026. We reported that register, and the three other certificates on it, on 16 October. What Marshall's announcement adds is how the assessment came about and what the two companies say about it.
Marshall Aerospace's announcement of 19 October, also published by sUAS News, says: "The company’s Extera flight termination system has received a SAIL 2 Certificate from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), demonstrating design compliance with relevant safety requirements and paving the way for wider commercial use."
What the system does
The announcement describes Extera as "a hardware and software solution designed to assure containment during critical drone operations." It adds: "Using a fully independent communications link separate from the aircraft’s primary systems, the system enables operators to end the aircraft’s flight at the touch of a button, supporting safe UAS usage in complex and constrained environments."
Why a SAIL Mark matters to operators
SAIL stands for Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, and the announcement says it "is part of the CAA’s risk-based assessment for UAS." For operators working in the specific category, the useful part is reuse: "The SAIL Mark certificate effectively provides a design “passport” for assured UAS requirements that can be used by multiple customers without being revisited."
The announcement does not set out how an individual operator would use the certificate in an application, so operators should check with the CAA how it applies to their own aircraft and operation.
How the assessment was done
The announcement says that "In March 2026, Extera was selected as one of five products to receive a SAIL Mark assessment from Marshall under a grant programme established by the CAA with funding from Innovate UK and the Department for Transport."
"Marshall provided Flarebright and the CAA with an independent flightworthiness report for Extera, including an analysis of the system’s compliance with CAA requirements and a SAIL Mark recommendation. The CAA subsequently awarded Extera the SAIL 2 certification."
Only "CAA‑designated Recognised Assessment Entities for Flightworthiness, or RAE(F)s, are authorised to conduct SAIL Mark assessments", and the announcement says Marshall "was one of the first organisations in the UK to secure this designation".
What the two companies said
Dr Carl Sequeira, Flarebright's Interim Chief Technology Officer, said: "Achieving SAIL 2 certification is a major step towards making Extera available as a commercial product for UAS operators across survey and inspection, delivery and drop, and constrained-environment testing."
Mark Hewer, Aero Engineering Services Director at Marshall Aerospace, said: "Having worked closely with the Flarebright team over recent months, we are delighted to see Extera achieve this well-earned SAIL Mark certification."
The announcement does not give a price or a date for commercial availability. Extera was one of five products picked for assessment under the same programme.