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4th Component Maintenance Squadron Team Handles Avionics Repairs for F-15 Flight Deck

Senior Airman Taylor Hunter published an in-depth look into the 4th CMS avionics backshop, where technicians troubleshoot and repair flight instruments in F-15 aircraft. Pictured above, Senior Airman Jonathan Capayas, 4th CMS avionics technician, uses an electronic systems test set (ESTS) to analyze potential issues with equipment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Hunter)

At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, a 68-person team from the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron avionics backshop is responsible for repairing critical flight instruments in the F-15 flight deck. The team maintains all of the avionics on the 94 F-15E Strike Eagles at the Air Force base, including control panels, radar, and GPS systems.

Senior Airman Taylor Hunter published an in-depth look into the work that takes place in the 4th CMS avionics backshop this week. The team uses a range of testing equipment to troubleshoot and repair the different flight instruments. There is a unique procedure for repairing each piece of flight hardware.

Tech. Sgt. Allen Bonds explained that their work area includes a large test station to mimic instrument performance on the F-15 aircraft. The test station has tighter parameters to ensure that “if it passes here, it will pass on the aircraft,” Bonds said.

Attention to detail is critical for testing avionics instruments, because even small parts can cause big problems down the road.

The team uses a supercomputer—the F-15 electronic system test set (ESTS)—to perform multiple tests at the same time. The ESTS diagnoses faulty equipment and detects a specific area that needs to be repaired before the instrument can be returned to service.

“It’s incredibly complex, especially when software keeps failing and you have to go through a bunch of diagrams,” Senior Airman Jonathan Capayas explained regarding the process of testing for faults in the equipment. “If we’re not here, there is no way to verify the software.”

The avionics team at the 4th CMS makes more efficient and cost-effective repairs to flight instruments. Without these experts, the parts would have to be sent to off-site vendors for evaluation and repair.

Last month, House and Senate appropriators provided more than $194 million for upgrades to Boeing F-15 aircraft in their committee-approved versions of the fiscal 2023 defense appropriations bill.

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TSA Starts Testing Facial Recognition Technology at 16 Major Airports

The TSA is now testing facial recognition technology at 16 major airports in the U.S. (Photo: Ray Whitehouse for The New York Times)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now exploring the potential of facial recognition technology by introducing kiosks with cameras at 16 major airports to conduct facial identification. It has been integrated at major domestic airports from Atlanta, Boston, and Denver to Detroit, Los Angeles, and Miami—the pilot program began at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in 2020. However, facial recognition has been banned by some cities, including San Francisco. The TSA has plans for expanding use of the technology across the U.S. next year.

The system works like this: Passengers insert their ID into a machine at the kiosk and look at a camera for a few seconds. The technology compares the individual’s face with the photo on their ID. A human agent is present to provide final confirmation, although these machines will eventually operate completely autonomously.

Since early 2022, the TSA has been utilizing the Credential Authentication Technology 2 (CAT-2) system at checkpoints to verify the identity of individuals at the airport. “TSA will convert the information into an anonymized format, encrypt it, and transfer it for temporary analysis to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), which will assess the effectiveness of this technology at the checkpoint,” states the TSA’s website.

According to Geoffrey Fowler of “The Washington Post,” it has not yet been determined whether the technology is capable of detecting impostors and conducting security inspections more efficiently. He mentioned in a recent interview with PBS that there are also concerns about unfair treatment of minorities. “Are people with darker skin going to be sent to special lines for extra inspection?” Fowler wonders.

It sounds as though those traveling over the holidays do have the option to opt out of the process. While it could help passengers to get through airport security more quickly, many may be concerned about the security of the data collected. The fine print states that data could be retained in the system for up to two years. “Legislators have to get involved to decide what technology can be trusted,” says Fowler.

The Washington Post columnist authored an article in early December on this topic. Nobody yet understands the civil rights ramifications of facial recognition technology, he noted. Fowler spoke with Jason Lim of the TSA, who referred to the technology as a security enhancement. “We are so far very satisfied with the performance of the machine’s ability to conduct facial recognition accurately,” Lim said.

He added that passengers need not be concerned about incorrect identification or about unfair treatment, saying, “We work diligently to ensure the technology is performing according to the highest scientific standards. Demographic equitability is a serious issue for us, and it represents a significant element in our testing.”

According to an opinion article by Blank Rome LLP, facial recognition technology means that airline staff no longer need to spend time checking passengers’ IDs. The staff “are better able to give their attention to passengers who need it, like the elderly or those with disabilities and other special needs,” the article explained. Early findings also showed that the technology is quite accurate even while passengers are wearing face masks.

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Japan Airlines Installs Intelsat 2Ku System on E190 Aircraft

Intelsat’s 2Ku system has been installed on the first of J-AIR’s E190 aircraft. 13 additional aircraft will have the solution installed by the fall of 2024. (Photo: J-AIR)

In an announcement this week, Intelsat and Japan Airlines Co. shared news of the launch of Intelsat’s connectivity service on Embraer E190 aircraft for J-AIR, a subsidiary airline of Japan Airlines. The first of J-AIR’s E190 aircraft has already had Intelsat’s 2Ku system installed. 13 more aircraft will see the system installed by the fall of 2024.

Now, J-AIR will be the first in Japan to offer in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) services on regional aircraft, according to the announcement.

Keisuke Suzuki, SVP, Customer Experience of Japan Airlines, remarked on their close collaboration with Intelsat’s team to deliver high-quality connectivity. “Intelsat’s capable and reliable 2Ku system will provide miles of entertainment to our customers making J-AIR the first regional aircraft offering the IFC services in Japan,” Suzuki commented in the press release.

Dave Bijur, senior vice president of Commercial for Intelsat Commercial Aviation, was also quoted in the announcement of the 2KU system launch, saying, “Adding 2Ku will enable the same free inflight internet experience they have had since 2017 on the larger jets. For Intelsat, this is a great showcase for other E190 operators around the world who want to offer a free service to all their passengers.”

Virgin Australia is another airline that recently selected the 2Ku satellite connectivity solution that Intelsat offers. It announced in October that Intelsat’s IFC service will be installed on the airline’s existing fleet of Boeing 737 NG aircraft and on 737 MAX aircraft in future deliveries.

Jeff Sare, President of Intelsat Commercial Aviation, shared thoughts on the future of connectivity at the recent APEX Expo in Long Beach, California. “It’s all about the passenger experience,” he said. “At the end of the day, if a passenger on an airplane isn’t getting the service they need, they’re going to complain.”

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FAA Approves Viasat’s Ka-Band IFC for Gulfstream G450 Aircraft

Viasat recently shared that the Federal Aviation Administration approved its Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution for Gulfstream G450 aircraft. The supplemental type certificate granted by the FAA means that Viasat’s Ka-band connectivity system is available on more than 20 platforms now.

For Viasat’s Ka-band network for business aviation, a single aircraft can easily use more than 1 GB per hour. Data usage is primarily driven by streaming and browsing. The satellite network capacity that Viasat offers has been developed to accommodate future broadband demand.

Gulfstream G450 (Photo: Camber)

Viasat’s Wi-Fi solution is in demand for operators of Gulfstream G450 aircraft that hope to enable consistent and high-quality in-flight video conferencing, streaming, and access to corporate VPNs for passengers.

More than 90% of business aviation routes are covered by Viasat’s Ka-band network, according to Claudio D’Amico, business area director for Business Aviation at the company. “Our solution is a great fit for operators that want fast, reliable connectivity that matches the long-range profile of this aircraft,” D’Amico explained in the company’s announcement.

Viasat’s MRO dealer network allows operators of Gulfstream G450 aircraft to secure the Ka-band IFC kit—which includes a custom radome.

According to the company, Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 hardware kit that enables broadband IFC communicates with the Ka-band satellite network. The 5510 will also be compatible with Viasat’s next-gen ViaSat-3 constellation—three satellites that are expected to offer the highest-capacity broadband once launched.

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FCC Seeks Comment on Streamlining the Satellite Licensing Process

The Federal Communications Commission (Photo: FCC)

The FCC is working to improve the licensing procedures for commercial satellites. On Wednesday, the FCC decided to seek comments on changes to its policies and rules for satellite applications. This commission said there are an “unprecedented” number of applications for new satellite systems and it wants to better handle them.

Specifically, the commission said it will seek comment on allowing licensees to apply for more than one unbuilt Non-Geostationary (NGSO) satellite system in a given frequency band. It will seek comment on how the FCC should handle inconsistencies and omissions in applications and take comment on processing timelines for review of applications.

The notice of proposed rulemaking on the issue was called: Expediting Initial Processing of Satellite and Earth Station Applications.

The FCC is going through changes to support the rapidly developing commercial satellite industry. In November, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed reorganizing the FCC, to create a Space Bureau by splitting the International Bureau, which currently handles international telecommunications and satellite programs and policies.

According to a statement, a stand-alone Space Bureau would elevate the significance of satellite programs and policy, including the role of satellite in domestic communications and U.S. broadband goals.

“This re-imagined bureau will support United States leadership in the emerging space economy, promote long-term technical capacity to address satellite policies, and improve our coordination with other agencies on these issues,” Rosenworcel said.

The commission recently adopted a five-year rule requiring satellite operators to deorbit defunct satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) after their operational lifetime. Some members of Congress opposed the move, arguing it could create conflicting U.S. guidelines while NASA works on the issue as well.

The Satellite Industry Association applauded the reorganization plan to better address the industry’s licensing and regulatory needs.

This article was originally published by Via Satellite, a sister publication of Avionics International. It has been edited.

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Regulators Bless L3Harris Deal for Viasat’s Data Link Line, Moving Up Closure

L3Harris Technologies recently said it has received all U.S. and international regulatory approvals for its pending acquisition of the tactical data link product line from Viasat, with the deal now expected to close by Jan. 3, 2023, months earlier than expected.

When L3Harris announced it would acquire the Link 16 network in October for nearly $2 billion, it said the deal was expected to close in the first half of 2023.

“We are in position to close this acquisition much earlier than expected, which means we can welcome our new employees and begin work even earlier on this important modernization effort,” Christopher Kubasik, chairman and CEO of L3Harris, said in a statement. “The team is excited to deliver advanced tactical data links for this broadly used network, which will give our warfighters distinct advantages in multiple domains.”

Viasat technologies connect Link 16 (Photo: Viasat)

Viasat’s tactical data link product line has about $400 million in annual sales and nearly 450 employees. The products are installed in more than 20,000 U.S. and allied platforms to enable warfighters to securely share voice and data communications across multiple platforms and domains.

L3Harris said in October it will expand the advanced tactical data links to the existing Link 16 network to a larger user base and improve the technology to achieve resiliency for evolving electronic warfare environments and joint all domain command and control requirements.

This article was first published by Avionics International‘s sister publication, Defense Daily.

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U.S. Air Force Kicks Off Launch Control Center Block Upgrades for Minuteman III

The U.S. Air Force 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. and Northrop Grumman [NOC] began Launch Control Center Block Upgrades (LCCBU) this month to modernize support equipment for the Boeing [BA] Minuteman III ICBMs, the 90th Missile Wing said.

The effort began at the Kilo-01 missile alert facility (MAF) near Dix, Neb. and is to extend to 14 other launch centers.

Northrop Grumman on Feb. 1, 2021 and March 17 last year won two contracts that could be worth about $38 million for LCCBU. That work is set to finish by July 17, 2023.

A Northrop Grumman field technician secures the new Launch Control Center printer on Dec. 2 at the Kilo-01 Missile Alert Facility near Dix, Nebraska. (U.S. Air Force Photo)

Kamala Parker, Northrop Grumman LCCBU program manager, said in a 90th Missile Wing statement that the Kilo-01 MAF was the company’s “first operational install for this program, and we have gone through a lot of development and production, so being in the deployment stage now is a big deal.”

“Much of the equipment in the LCCs has been operational since Minuteman III came online roughly 50 years ago,” per the 90th Missile Wing.

“The block upgrade program is designed to replace antiquated or obsolete equipment and support the weapon system with newer technology. The LCCBU effort is focused on upgrades to the journal memory loader and printer, as well as replacing the floppy disc drive with a flash data drive. Additionally, the LCCs are getting upgrades to the oxygen regeneration unit, which is responsible for generating breathable air in the event of a strike on the MAF,” the 90th Missile Wing statement continued.

LCCBU is to last until the Air Force retires the Minuteman III fleet by the mid-2030s or earlier.

The Minuteman III upgrades come as the Air Force plans to convert 450 Minuteman III silos to accommodate the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel next generation ICBM.

Last month, Pittsburgh’s Gecko Robotics said that the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center awarded the company an 18-month, $1.5 million Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract to aid the Air Force in the planned Minuteman III-Sentinel silo conversion (Defense Daily, Nov. 29).

“Under the new contract, Gecko Robotics will integrate state-of-the-art concrete evaluation technology into their fleet of crawling robots,” the company said. “The hardware and software components together will provide the capability to rapidly assess concrete and steel liners in ICBM launch facilities. The ability to rapidly assess the current infrastructure of launch facilities is paramount to ensure a smooth transition to the Sentinel program and transition to a modernized sustainment program.”

In June, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons center at Hill AFB, Utah awarded BAE Systems an up to $12 billion contract for ICBM support through 2040 (Defense Daily, June 24).

Under the cost-plus-award-fee contract for the Integration Support Contract (ISC) 2.0, BAE will serve as the lead systems integrator and will complement government personnel in providing ICBM systems engineering, integration, and professional services.

BAE was the incumbent and won the approximately $534 million ISC contract in July 2013.

For ISC 2.0, BAE beat out four other offers, which included one from Integrated ICBM Support Services, LLC—a joint venture formed last year among Amentum, Apex Systems and Leidos [LDOS] (Defense Daily, Feb. 10, 2021).

The ISC 2.0 contract will support the aging Minuteman III ICBM force and the Sentinel, which may become operational in 2029 and remain so until 2075.

Northrop Grumman and Bechtel, which is to build the required LGM-35A infrastructure required for the 450 silos, may use predictive data to keep the Sentinel program on track.

An Air Force competition for the data layer for the 450 Sentinel silos may kick off next September.

In August last year, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center said that it had contracted with the Virginia-based Sabel Systems to create a “Teamcenter” hub to consolidate and organize data, enable enterprise-wide workflows, and “visualize” the health of the Minuteman III fleet, as the Air Force begins the transition to Sentinel.

This article was first published by Defense Daily, a sister publication to Avionics International; it has been edited.

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Rolls-Royce Finishes Building UltraFan Demonstrator Engine

The UltraFan demonstrator engine (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Rolls-Royce has wrapped up construction on their innovative UltraFan® engine. The UltraFan runs on 100% sustainable aviation fuel and includes technology that enhances fuel efficiency. This milestone is not only celebrated by the Rolls-Royce team but by the larger aviation community since it’s a much-needed step toward net neutral aviation.

Like many companies, Rolls-Royce is wrapping up their 2022 work year. Their civil aerospace department’s wrap-up project was the UltraFan engine. The team finished its construction earlier in December.

The UltraFan is designed to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. It also includes scalable technology which could work in both narrow-body and wide-body aircrafts. The new design is unlike any other engine on the market, and it possesses more eco-friendly technologies. The design and new technologies provide a 25,000- to 110,000-pound thrust that can improve fuel efficiency by an additional 10%.

Unlike the first generation of the Trent engine, the UltraFan will have a 140-inch diameter, resulting in a 25% increase in fuel efficiency—even if normal fuel is used instead of 100% sustainable fuel.

The UltraFan engine isn’t quite ready to launch just yet, but it can help other aircraft on the path to net zero aviation. In the near future, technologies from this engine could be transferred to others to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency.

But before the full power of the UltraFan can be realized, Rolls-Royce must do testing on the engine. The team has moved the engine from the workshop to Testbed 80 in Derby, UK, and expects to carry out the first test early next year.

Testbed 80, the largest smart testbed in the world, was custom-built for this project in 2020. While customized to accommodate the size of the UltraFan demonstrator, Testbed 80 has tested other engines over the past few years.

If testing is successful, UltraFan could be a key factor on the path to net zero aviation. Backed by the state of Bradenburg in Germany, the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute, Innovate UK, and the EU’s Clean Sky program, this engine has the potential to transform aviation.

“The next stage will be to see UltraFan run for the first time on 100% sustainable aviation fuel in 2023, proving the technology is ready to support more sustainable flight in the future,” said Chris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, in a recent press release.

This project is a monumental way to end the year. It’s a step toward a future where flights have lower emissions and are more fuel efficient.

The post Rolls-Royce Finishes Building UltraFan Demonstrator Engine appeared first on Avionics International.

EUROCONTROL Publishes Think Paper on Air Traffic Controller Mobility

Eurocontrol recently released a think paper on whether improving air traffic controller mobility could improve capacity and scalability for airlines. (Photo: Eurocontrol)

Air traffic controllers are soon likely to get the same convenience as remote workers since Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, sees remote air traffic control as a solution to the unpredictable demand within European airspace.

Being an air traffic control operator (ATCO) can be an intense and stressful job. Still, it is nonetheless one of the most necessary jobs in the aviation industry because without it, air travel would not be feasible or safe.

Recently, the commercial aviation industry in Europe has been suffering financial losses due to ATCO capacity and staffing issues. Airline businesses are losing both time and money, and Eurocontrol is investigating a potential solution: implementing more air traffic control operator mobility.

The implementation of increased ATCO mobility could create a more dynamic and adaptable air navigation service in European airspace. Traditionally, ATCO mobility refers to a staff member physically relocating to another airport, or more specifically, an air control center (ACC).

ATCOs are responsible for air traffic flow management (ATFM), which is the process of organizing and directing incoming/outgoing air traffic. An ATFM delay, for example, could be an aircraft maintaining a holding pattern around the airport for an extended period of time. This is not ideal due to the fact that the airliner is burning fuel and wasting time.

In Eurocontrol’s recent Think Paper, from January to November 2022, they determined that out of the 15.7 million minutes of ATFM delay time, 47% of that time was due to ATCO capacity and staff shortages. “ATC staff shortages amounted to 7.43 million minutes for the first 11 months of 2022. Using the European airline delay cost value of €109/minute of delay, this has cost airlines over €800 million so far in 2022,” Eurocontrol established. In U.S. dollars, that is about $116/minute, or a total of $851 million.

The problem lies in that the demand for ATCOs can rapidly change throughout the course of the week or even the day. A more responsive solution than physically relocating ATCOs would clearly be beneficial.

Hence, Eurocontrol introduced the idea of Cross-border ATC Provision. With the help of modern technology, ATCOs can control airspace remotely from an ACC that is not actually near the airspace. Within Europe, states under specific agreements and proper legislation would then have the ability to control one another’s airspace if necessary.

Eurocontrol explained, “Scalability is an attractive feature of this approach as it gives flexibility to assign controllers to the sectors where the need is the greatest at any given moment, irrespective of the national boundary or ACC in which the controller is located.”

By implementing cross-border ATC provision, European airspace will become more dynamic to the seemingly unpredictable demand for air traffic control. A given sector may not have much air traffic and those ATCOs could be utilized more efficiently by reassigning them to busier airspace. In practice, this would reduce delay times and allow for a more economically efficient system.

In Europe, there are already air navigation service providers (ANSPs) that are implementing cross-border ATC provision. As mentioned in Think Paper, Maastricht UAC, Netherlands has been utilizing ATCO mobility for 50 years. The Maastricht UAC is “managing air traffic in the upper airspace of Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and the north-west of Germany.” Interestingly, the delegation of airspace is cross-border, but all of the ATCOs are stationed within Maastricht, providing remote airspace coverage.

Implementing cross-border ATC provision is no easy task, however. Among countries, there is a concern of national security, “Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, each State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory,” Eurocontrol acknowledged. The European Commission Regulation has established a common licensing scheme to allow for a “mutual recognition of licenses and facilitate the free movement of air traffic controllers across Europe,” which aims to standardize air traffic control and eliminate knowledge barriers.

ATCO conversion training should also be optimized; by reducing the time it takes to convert ATCOs to a different kind of airspace, it will encourage ATCO mobility. Conversion training is when an ATCO “continues to work in the same airspace sector but something fundamental has changed.” If an ATCO was managing the approach sector of an airport and moved to the tower sector, this would require conversion training.

This isn’t very straightforward, though. “When an ATCO converts from one set of sectors to another, the length of time it takes is dependent on a number of factors that affect the philosophy of how the airspace is managed.”

Although only time and implementation will indicate whether it is a viable solution, ATCO mobility might be the future of airspace management. Eurocontrol anticipates the potential for a more efficiently maintained airspace in Europe that will not only remain safe but also reduce downtime and save money.

The post EUROCONTROL Publishes Think Paper on Air Traffic Controller Mobility appeared first on Avionics International.

Q&A With Inmarsat’s Director of Air Traffic Services

Inmarsat’s Director of Air Traffic Services, Lisa Bee, recently spoke with Avionics International to discuss the Iris program in-depth as well as Inmarsat’s approach to ATM. (Photo: Inmarsat)

Inmarsat leads the Iris Air Traffic Management (ATM) program with the European Space Agency. Inmarsat and the ESA signed a contract in June 2022 to begin a new phase called Iris Global, which will expand the ATM program beyond Europe and accelerate the modernization of ATM.

In November 2022, Inmarsat and the ESA chose TXT Group as the latest partner to join the Iris program. The Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application developed by TXT, called the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer, or FPO, will support the Iris program with recommendations for cost-efficient methods to operate flights. The FPO uses vertical and lateral route optimization to incorporate passenger comfort, on-time performance, and operational considerations.

Avionics International caught up with Lisa Bee, Inmarsat’s Director of Air Traffic Services, recently to learn more about the Iris program and Inmarsat’s approach to ATM.

Avionics: Could you share some details about your background?

Lisa Bee: I am an ex-FAA air traffic controller. I worked on developing requirements and operational test and evaluation programs. I work a lot right now in the regulatory space for Inmarsat, and I deal a lot with ICAO panels. I also work with ICAO regional air traffic services coordinating groups on how these regional groups are going to operate together and harmonize their technologies and their operations.

What exactly is the Iris program?

Bee: Our Iris programme is our next-generation satellite communications program. It’s an enabler for global air traffic modernization. These are operating concepts that are captured by ICAO in their Aviation [System] Block Upgrades and their global air navigation plans. The concepts for modernization have been embraced by different signatures to ICAO.

Iris is really the set of tools that will enable trajectory-based operations and those kinds of capabilities. It’s a secure, digital communication capability. It’s built on our ELERA satellite communications network, which is an L-band network. It provides data link communications, controller-pilot data link communications, ADS-C surveillance, as well as secure prioritized background IP capabilities, and it also supports voice capabilities.

Where our legacy satellite communications is on the FANS [Future Air Navigation System] network, Iris is basically built on our SwiftBroadband-Safety network. Iris brings that over to the aeronautical telecommunications network [ATN]. The Iris program enables satcom on the ATN to meet the requirements for domestic communications. Previously for aeronautical safety, satcom had been used primarily in oceanic and remote regions. Iris now brings satcom to meet domestic, continental needs.

What progress has been made with Iris?

Bee: Inmarsat has been working on the Iris project since 2014. That’s when the ESA selected us as a partner. We’ve been working to develop the satcom capability, and it’s built on our SwiftBroadband-Safety 2.0 system. The Iris capability takes that and transitions it to the ATN—for Europe, it’s ATN OSI. We’ll be able to provide higher-speed, higher-capacity data link capabilities that support the 4D trajectory data link—an expanded message set for controller-pilot data link communications and the ADS-C extended projected profile. Those are enablers for trajectory-based operations, or TBO. Also, with the Secure IP channel, we can support applications like the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer, and other types of EFB applications. What you have now is this really great capability for the airline operations centers, pilots, and the air traffic management system to communicate with each other—a much higher level of information exchange and situational awareness, and that enables much more efficient flight profiles.

Where is the team at in terms of development?

Bee: We’ve been working for a number of years and conducted a number of flight trials. In November, Airbus certified the lightweight cockpit satcom terminal, the Iris terminal, on easyJet. EasyJet certified that terminal on an Airbus 320neo. We expect to begin commercial flights with those aircraft in early 2023. EasyJet is planning to equip up to 11 Airbus A320neos. We’re on schedule right now for EASA service certification around March 2023.

As soon as the flights are capable and the service is certified, we’ll have basically a pan-European service that’s available for implementation. It will operate anywhere it’s adopted within Europe. It doesn’t require any additional existing ground infrastructure; it’s just plugged right into the aeronautical telecommunication network. Modifications are complete to support this service.

Have there been any obstacles or challenges related to the work with easyJet?

Bee: No specific obstacles. Any time you do technical development, there are going to be issues. We’ve been working very effectively together with easyJet. They have some very ambitious objectives to make their fleet more efficient. They just recently came out with a roadmap to net zero by 2050. They are probably considered the most efficient airline in Europe.

Are there any ongoing efforts or projects that you could share details about?

Bee: We recently launched, with the European Space Agency, the Iris Global program. That will be to transition it to a global standard—ATN/IPS. When that program is complete, it will be capable of providing Iris services anywhere in the world. Because we’ll be enhancing our network to support the IPS standard and because our network is global, it would be immediately available. The timeline for that is around 2027, and that was just announced this year.

How do you see this industry evolving? Have you observed any trends in air traffic management, or any upcoming challenges or opportunities?

Bee: The big concern in the airline industry right now is sustainability and also countering perceptions and concerns about aviation’s contribution to global emissions. I was at the CANSO [Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation] and ATCA [Air Traffic Control Association] World ATM Congress this past spring, and the biggest area of discussion was probably making aviation more sustainable—specifically, how to modernize airspace and bring efficiency to aviation.

For example, the European Commision estimated that aviation probably contributes about 3% of all CO2 emissions in Europe, and about 2% globally. The air traffic/airspace management portion of that contribution is probably somewhere between 5% and 10%. The big concern that I’m hearing in the air traffic arena is what we need to do to address that 10% and to gain 10% reductions in CO2 emissions. The big limiter has been aviation infrastructure. The big push with Iris and trajectory-based operations is to modernize the aviation infrastructure and implement TBO so that flights can be managed more efficiently. Then we can reduce emissions. Iris is the tool for that. That’s the primary message I’m seeing, and, of course, uncrewed aviation and the integration into controlled and uncontrolled airspace.

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