Raytheon’s amazing breadth of ATM systems

In an interview with SP’s AirBuz, Andy Zogg, Vice President, Business Development, Raytheon, spoke about the company’s role as a major ATM system integrator and how its full range of products and services satisfies virtually any ATM requirement, from a small airport system to a gate-to-gate national ATM system.

SP’s AirBuz (SP’s): Could you give us the status of Next-Gen ATM system in India?

Andy Zogg (Zogg): In India, Raytheon has been installing state-of-the-art equipment to meet the growing demand. Air traffic controllers use Raytheon’s AutoTrac III (AT3) system at India's three major airports, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

The system combines flight tracking, navigational data and weather in one system, allowing controllers to make better decisions about where to send the planes.

AT3 is now controlling air traffic at three Indian airports run by the Airports Authority of India in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, covering three of the four Indian Flight Information Regions. This is an important step in India’s plans to modernise its national airspace to accommodate the anticipated steep rise in the region's air traffic as more and more people choose to fly. The AT3 system is an advanced, cost-effective solution to the challenges facing the ATM community in the 21st century—traffic growth outpacing revenue growth and the drive to increase capacity and productivity in a cost-conscious environment. The system contains the most advanced surveillance and flight data processing systems available today. Raytheon’s partnership with AAI will provide India with the most modern ATM system in the world.

Now, air traffic controllers receive information in integrated fashion on a situation display. This includes flight, surveillance, aeronautical and meteorological data, enabling the controller to make decisions which expedite the flow of air traffic.

Raytheon’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) equipment promises to bring air traffic control to many countries that could not afford it in the past. Unlike radar, which reflects beams of radio energy off planes to detect them, ADS-B allows planes to broadcast their own locations to controllers and other aircraft. The ground receiver is small—about the size of a digital TV receiver—but it provides the same kind of display as a radar tower and rotating dish. The technology also allows planes to fly shorter routes and plan flights more accurately.

SP’s: With regard to GAGAN, could you tell us about the partnership and what has been Raytheon’s contribution?

Zogg: Raytheon is building the ground stations for the global positioning system (GPS)-aided geo-augmented navigation (GAGAN) system, which will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian airspace and adjoining areas in South and East Asia.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are providing the space segment additional ground equipment, as well as participating in the integration and operation of the system.

GAGAN will be the world’s most advanced air navigation system and further reinforces India’s leadership in the forefront of air navigation. It will greatly improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance communications to meet India’s growing air traffic management needs. The GAGAN solution addresses the four essential elements of safe air navigation: accuracy, integrity, availability and continuity.

SP’s: Raytheon’s ATM system is said to be a cost-effective solution. Could you substantiate the same?

Zogg: Raytheon's AutoTrac III next-generation air traffic management system is the third evolution of our highly successful and reliable AutoTrac product line. As such, it benefits from many years of both customer and Raytheon investment allowing for new tools, features and functionality that are provided for the controller to make improved decisions. AutoTrac's large installed operational base provides continuous improvement through interaction with the users and maintainers allowing our customers to take advantage of those already non-developmental items. Our AutoTrac architecture takes advantage of the most modern and reliable products which are selected in a competitive marketplace that best suits our customers' requirements. In addition, some of AutoTrac's advanced features and functionality allow for significant overall savings through more direct routings and reduced holding times which in turn leads to reduced fuel costs and lower emissions.

SP’s: There is mention of ATM enabling ‘enhanced’ surveillance. Could you outline the same?

Zogg: The ATM environment is taking advantage of new forms of surveillance such as ADS-B and multi-lateration technology which provides improved aircraft positional data from cooperating aircraft. The ATM environment will rely on several forms of complimentary surveillance in the future and air traffic automation systems like AutoTrac needs to be able to process and present the data for an air traffic controller that allows the controller to make the best decisions possible. Raytheon's multi-fusion tracker (MFT) can ingest data from several different surveillance sources and provide the most accurate position data from the best surveillance source.