Progress in Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) Avionics System Test at the Air Force Flight Test Center

Abstract

This paper presents a progress report on Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) avionic system test activities at the Air Force Flight Test Center. In many parts of the world today the continuing growth of commercial air traffic is running up against limits brought on by overuse of aviation resources. Air corridors in Europe and on transoceanic air routes are operating at maximum capacity. Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) are working these challenges on two levels—near-term incremental improvements and long-term visionary changes. Each country has a CAA; ours being the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Near-term solutions focus on better utilization of resources such as air space and frequency spectrum and improved performance of air traffic control facilities. Long-term visionary changes, such as free flight, could fundamentally change the current civil aviation business process model. CAA policies and standards are driving near-term improvements and migration toward long-term objectives. This initiative is referred as Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM). Implementation of the U.S. military’s vision, Global Reach/Global Power, requires the ability to rapidly deploy armed forces to major regional conflicts anywhere in the world, and to sustain these forces for as long as it takes to resolve these conflicts. To achieve this goal and accomplish rapid deployments while at the same time minimizing costs, the Air Force has adopted a solution that makes extensive use of CNS/ATM. The Air Force calls its initiative Global Air Traffic Management (GATM). Air Force aircraft equipped with GATM avionics will be able to use CNS/ATM capabilities such as reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM), 8.33 kHz data links, automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B), and global communication networks. These capabilities make possible improved flight safety, lower fuel costs, and quicker turn times. The Air Force Flight Test Center supports the GATM initiative by providing Air Traffic Control (ATC) Communications Test Facilities and Avionic System Test (ACTFAST) capabilities to support aircraft modification programs.