As
Defence prepares to upgrade the UHF/VHF/HF communications of the Australian
Military Airspace Control Communications System (AMACCS) under Air 5397 Phase
2, it is anticipated that new developments in air-ground-air communications,
including IP-based systems, may well be introduced.
Under Air 5397, the fixed and deployable Air Traffic and Air
Defence communications systems were delivered in the late 1990s across the ADF
under Phase 1 with the current Phase 2 described as a technology refresh for
the UHF/VHF/HF systems delivered under Phase 1.
Since communications technology has advanced since then, Phase 2
is expected also to reassess the communications requirements within each Air
Traffic and Air Defence and other relevant systems and consider the introduction
of new technology. Radio over Internet Protocol, Voice over Internet Protocol
and data communications over radio are examples of technologies that will be assessed
for relevance to ADF airground-air communications.
To this end the RPDE program was approached and Task 50 will:
• determine the technical feasibility of using IP based AGA
radio communications over future networks;
• determine any architectural limitations and provide options
for a technical solution to satisfy the requirements;
• map the relationships between Air 5397 Ph2, Air 5405 Ph1, Air
5431 Ph2/3, Vigilare and other identified DCP Projects; and
• analyse the advantages and disadvantages of implementing and
operating IP communications for the AMACCS, Aerospace Battlespace Management (ABM)
and ATC systems.
The RPDE program also undertook a QuickLook (QL18) task Air
Traffic Control Voice Systems for Vigilare, aimed at validating that the design
solution meets the requirements of the proposed Selective Calling service.
In February 2009 contracts worth more than $26 million were
signed with Rohde & Schwarz Australia for the acquisition and through life
support of three Transportable Air Operations Towers (TAOTs) thereby providing
the ADF with a robust and mobile Air Traffic Control (ATC) capability, able to
be deployed at short notice.
The TAOTs comprised trailer mounted, hydraulically elevated ATC
cabins capable of providing essential capabilities to ADF operations,
exercises, bare base activations and temporary replacement of fixed ATC towers.
The ATC radio system uses the Rohde & Schwartz M3SR4400
which ADM understands is VOIP capable but which is yet to be used as such.
Besides being a technology refresh for the UHF/VHF/HF
communication systems delivered under Phase 1, Phase 2 also plans to assess the
need to replace radios procured through minor projects and operating budgets
and subsequently incorporated into the Australian Military Airspace
Communications and Control System (AMACCS) contract.
The radios incorporated into the AMACCS contract were procured
over a number of years and it is not anticipated that a wholesale replacement
project is required. Priority will be given to functional areas where it is
assessed there is a more urgent replacement need.
The following four functional areas will be assessed:
• Air Traffic Control;
• Air Defence Ground Environment;
• Air Weapons Ranges; and
• Pilot Monitoring Facilities.
The life of type for the AMACCS capability is expected to be 15
years. An interesting point here is that AMACCS prime contractor BAE Systems
Australia, is responsible for the through life support of the Rohde &
Schwartz radios, whose 20-year LOT ends in 2016.
While Rohde & Schwartz radio equipment is not cheap, the
initial cost can be balanced against the low cost of maintenance and support
provided by BAE Systems engineers and technicians. Indeed there are rumours
that Phase 2 may be deferred in favour of a life extension program for
installed equipment.
In April last year BAE Systems announced that it had been issued
with a five-year extension to its AMACCS support contract. The contract, valued
at $11.5 million, was renegotiated to deliver a more cost-effective solution
consistent with the Strategic Reform Program (SRP).
According to BAE Systems the Commonwealth will see savings of
over 10 per cent over the contract period under the new terms, in line with SRP
goals. Analysing the project practices and streamlining processes using LEAN principles,
and leveraging 10 years of experience gained on AMACCS, according to the
company, achieved these savings.
The contract extension also included additional scope valued at
A$1.6 million which included training and engineering services for through life
support at no additional cost.
Background
In 1996 Siemens Plessey Electronic Systems was awarded the
contract to upgrade or replace the RAAF’s various ground-based radio systems
for Air Traffic Control, and Air Defence.
Rohde and Schwarz were subcontracted to supply radios. These
included the supply and installation of more than 370 Rohde and Schwarz Type
200, 400 and 2100 VHF, UHF and HF radios at more than 25 sites around
Australia.
The radios were provided in various configurations to provide
flexibility for ATC and air-defence applications while maintaining the common
platforms and architectures necessary for reduced logistic support costs.
BAE Systems Australia announced in March 2007 that it had been
awarded a $14.5 million Contract Change Proposal (CCP) by the ADF to provide
additional Pilot Monitoring Facilities (PMFs) to the RAAF.
The additional PMFs were to be distributed to nominated units to
provide an extension of the RAAF’s ground-to-air communications capability. A
total of 35 PMF sets were delivered and installed across 35 RAAF sites in both
Australia and Malaysia over a two-year period. It is now believed that some 40
PMF sets are currently deployed.
AMACCS is intimately linked with Air 5186, the Australian
Defence Air Traffic System (a replacement of ATC radars and data processing and
display systems); Air 5333 (Vigilare) the Air Defence Command and Control System;
and Air 5375, the Tactical Air Defence Radar Upgrade program.
IP-based
ATC communications
If Defence does move to adopt IP-based communications systems
and if Rohde & Schwarz radios are again selected for AMACCS, then we might
see their voice communications system VCS-4G introduced.
The VCS-4G has a decentralised architecture where controllers
handle their own switching.
Controllers select which radio channels they want to use for
pilot communications via an interface that users can configure to meet their
requirements.
However there are a number of companies we suspect are eager to
provide IPbased ATC and other ground-air-ground (GAG) communications for AMACCS
and related programs although the extent of their IP-based GAG is hard to
ascertain.
Selex Elsag’s OTS MGE 100 multi-mode ground station for ATC
ground-to-air voice communication may be configured in terms of single
frequency and automatic multi-frequency operation in the VHF or UHF band and
analogue or voice over IP operating modes.
Frequentis – a market leader for voice communication systems in
air traffic control – has designed an IP-based solution optimised for the
distributed remote tower scenario. The solution is based on the VCS 3020X
platform and implements EUROCAE VoIP standards.
The Jotron 7000 series of ATC radios for ground to air
communications are delivered as wholly digital systems, not developed through
add-ons or analogue converters.
Harris Corporation reports that it has delivered the first
operational VoIP radio control capability into the US National Airspace System.
VoIP is an essential enabler of the agency’s evolution toward NextGen, a
wide-ranging transformation of the entire US air transport system.
Thales and Rockwell Collins may also be contenders for the
provision of IP-based ground-air-ground communications for Air 5397 Phase 2.