Core Avionics Master Plan - NAVAIR - U.S. Navy

Core Avionics Master Plan 2011 Appendix A-4Baseline to Vision Transition Strategy (continued).The overall purpose for these mandates is to ensure safe separation of theincreasing volume of traffic operating in civilian managed airspaces and reduce groundinfrastructure and cost. Compliance is accomplished through frequency mapping andfilter upgrades to radios, redundancy in air data computer altitude measuringequipment, incorporation of GPS „integrity‟ monitoring (signal verification), and Mode Scomponents. Each mandate applies to specific geographical locations, airspaces andmeteorological conditions. There is a fairly complex and dynamic set of deadlines forcompliance with each criteria. Areas of required compliance are expandingcommensurate with the growth of traffic volume. The Mode S requirement began withInstrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) in some portions of Europe, and nowapplies for most of Europe and for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations. There aredegrees of Mode S functionality. Mode S Elementary Surveillance (ELS) is basic serviceplus flight identification, using responses to selective interrogations. EnhancedSurveillance (EHS) builds upon ELS by adding Downlink of Aircraft Parameters (DAP)for additional details on aircraft flight conditions. Compliance requirements for differentclasses of aircraft are usually associated with gross weight or passenger capacity. TheCNS/ATM Integrated Product Team is tracking the progress of mandates and workingto evolve military systems to meet growing requirements.The latest civil interoperability mandate is ADS-B „Out.‟ ADS-B is a format in whichthe aircraft constantly „squitters‟ (2 pulse per second transmissions) a Mode S signalthat is picked up by appropriately equipped control stations. The mandate is only foraircraft to employ ADS-B „Out‟ (not ADS-B „Out‟ and ADS-B „In‟). The controllers areconfigured with ADS-B „In‟ (receive mode). This enables the controllers to constantly getdetailed and accurate aircraft PPLI information (without radar equipment) that enablesthem to ensure safe separation from other aircraft. Developers are also exploringintegration of ADS-B „In‟ for aircraft, which would enable an aircraft to get their ownairspace traffic picture, similar to the ground controllers. This capability would enabletactical aircraft to identify civil traffic unknowns as neutrals, and is considered promisingto enable a solution for military aircraft Airborne Collision Avoidance (ACAS).Although the requirement is to meet civil ATM mandates, CNS/ATM frameworks arealso being designed to enable military capability growth. The digital components andmodern systems being incorporated are capable of managing additional processing anddisplay necessary for aircraft warfighting functionalities, including cockpit and missioninformation management tools, networked tactical Situational Awareness (SA) tools,data-linked tactical information display (streaming video) and improved aircraft attitudeand drift cues for helicopter hover operations in degraded visual environments.Furthermore, these digital frameworks will provide the necessary foundation to hosttransformational force level capabilities such as Network Centric Operations (NCO),Single Integrated Air Picture (SIAP) and Joint Precision and Approach Landing System(JPALS) recovery. Each of these operational capabilities leverages core avionicselements such as improved communications transceivers, interrogator/transponderenhancements, processors, antennas and displays. For the most part, integration effortsare centrally managed by PMA209. Existing component architectures are leveraged ineach platform, but the central team captures efficiencies through re-use of governmentowned software, economy of scale with common equipment, and reduced overhead.A-4 Cooperative Surveillance 3