research programme to find possible *successors* to the existing pitot-static/vane technology
Yes indeed but the important point in regard of this:
...the aviation industry did not consider temporary loss of airspeed indication to be a significant threat
is this (
bold)
January 2005: Thales launches the project "ADELINE" (Appendix 5). Actual air data equipment is Composed of a wide number of individual probes and pressure sensors. This equipment Delivers vital parameters
for the safety of the aircraft's flight:
such as air speed, angle of attack and altitude. The loss of these
data can cause aircraft crashes Especially in case of probe icing.
And
December 2002: The FAA mandates the replacement of the Rosemount probe probes
Goodrich and Thales FAA indicating the possibility of leaving the flight domain and that is the answer to an "unsafe condition" (Annex 39)
So in fact the aviation industry (and regulators .. part of it) considered the temporary loss of airspeed like a threat IMHO