Safety and security has developed considerably over the last 10 years – to what do you attribute this development?
The aviation market, be it industry or enduser, has always focused on safety and security. Here, methods and technical possibilities have significantly improved, and international standardization is being pushed, as global cooperation are the norm. It is fair to say that flight safety has never been better. Having said that, safety in air traffic control (ATC) continues to hit the international headlines with wide ranging issues, for example vulnerabilities to attacks through the internet.
Cyber-attacks are real. Attackers can exploit ATC systems, which is especially worrisome at a time where people are still sensitized by the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US. To stay successful in this market, Rohde & Schwarz’s technological developments meet the challenge of cyber-threats (among other things) and we invest a lot in this very vital element of any ATC solution.
Can you share with us some of the trends and requirements you are seeing in the ATC market space?
Air traffic continues to grow at a rapid rate worldwide, despite all discussions about climate change and the rise of ecological thinking. This rising air traffic density and pressures to reduce costs create challenges for ATC authorities.
For example, in Europe even short flights entail frequent switching between ATC authorities – France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Geographic conditions can also dictate frequent ATC responsibility transfers. Additional communications resources are needed to ensure seamless flight monitoring and control. Here, seamless flight control without many frequency changes is urgently required in order to organize air space efficiently. Virtual Centers with multi-redundant systems will help to achieve the required flexibility.
Drones clearly are a challenge. As you know, ATC technology keeps track of commercial and military aircraft, but this does not account for drone traffic. In the next 10 years, drones might be delivering goods to doorsteps (as they already do today) and over highways and train routes for traffic monitoring. How do we integrate drones safely and efficiently into air traffic that is already flying in low-altitude airspace? How do we coordinate the airspace? How do we ensure safety at airports? There is an abundance of open questions, all of which already are under discussion in several working groups.
Where has Rohde & Schwarz made headway?
The Irish (IAA) and Icelandic (ISAVIA) ATC authorities are jointly responsible for the flight corridor over the North Atlantic. The modernization program for both the IAA and ISAVIA ATC communications systems involved the previously impracticable requirement of making it possible for the Icelandic authority to take on full control of Ireland’s duties and vice versa. This requirement stemmed from economic considerations and the demand for efficient, dynamic resource distribution between both ATC authorities. There was also a demand for enhanced operational safety in case of major system malfunctions or even total failure of one of the two systems. Rohde & Schwarz’s R&S VCS-4G virtual center technology enabled us to prevail over the global market leader during the tender process.
The ATC centers in Ballygirreen, Ireland and Gufunes, Iceland are now both being equipped with an R&S VCS-4G system. The systems are interconnected in a cloud architecture to allow air traffic controllers at either control center to fully or partially take over the duties of the other center for ground to air and ground to ground communications. Rohde & Schwarz’s integrated existing competitor VHF and HF radios into its solution next to installation of R&S M3SR Series4100 HF receivers as well. Unlike competitor devices, these receivers connect via VoIP in line with EUROCAE ED 137. An automatically controlled antenna switch matrix modified to customer specifications was also part of this substantial order. The customers state that it was more than technology leadership that made the difference in awarding the tender to Rohde & Schwarz. It was our customer oriented approach summed up in the phrase “everything from a single source.”
What is one of your main products?
That would be our R&S VCS-4G full IP VCS solution, contracted for more than 280 systems in over 59 countries worldwide, including airports/towers, Area Control Centers (ACC), virtual centers, remote towers, offshore drilling sites, mobile towers, and shelters. As the R&S VCS-4G technology implements the ED-137 standard to the core of the system and not just to periphery components, it is the world’s first and most widely deployed full IP VCS system. In the example above about Iceland and Ireland, R&S VCS-4G enables resource sharing and virtual ATC center operation, allowing operation of both voice communications systems either independently in standalone mode or in joint-operation mode.
R&S VCS-4G is a flexible and cost-effective solution for all ATC voice communications needs, meeting established requirements for availability, reliability and safety in ATC as well as the growing need for dynamic ATC scenarios with network based sharing and distribution of operational resources.
What will Rohde & Schwarz focus on to improve safety and security further in the coming years?
Absolute availability of communication systems is paramount for air navigation service providers, ATC agencies and airport operators. Rohde & Schwarz supplies innovative solutions for a wide range of applications in the aerospace sector. We have built a strong reputation in this safety-critical sector based on the outstanding quality and performance of its solutions – a key factor today as air traffic density continues to steadily increase.
We will also focus on quad-redundant systems, meaning if one part of the system fails, another part automatically takes over, again prioritizing absolute safety and security for our customers. Even if many parts fail no interruption in operation will occur.
As modern IP technology is increasingly used in ATC applications, the cyber threat remains an all-encompassing challenge. Rohde & Schwarz continues to reliably and proactively protect air traffic networks against cybersecurity threats. We are analyzing cybersecurity measures and best practices to improve airport cyber resilience, in order to present advanced ATC solutions with the aim to address existing vulnerabilities and dependencies.
Rohde & Schwarz takes turnkey responsibility and is a one-stop-shop for customers who want one supplier to talk to. Longevity is a fundamental quality feature of Rohde & Schwarz. However, the high pace of innovation in modern communications technology means that products have to be regularly updated and adapted to new technological developments. We support customers by offering comprehensive services throughout all phases of the product lifecycle.
How does Rohde & Schwarz continue to deliver long-lasting, high-quality products, focusing on developing future-proof technologies?
We work very closely to the customer in order to regularly reflect innovations and to have our R&D teams focused on the customer’s needs.
By participating in several working groups, we are set to implement future standards. We also encourage an intense collaboration with ANSPs, as to tap on additional R&D knowledge and architecture to deliver the most modern and most secure and reliable products on the market.
The Rohde & Schwarz team provides onsite assessments and concept development. Engineers provide detailed system design of the radios, antennae, RF cabling and electricity as well as data networks. For long-lasting, error-free operation, we offer professional onsite installation following its own strong quality requirements. During system operation, we act as single point of accountability for the business and technical elements of the in-service support program.
What can we expect to see in the next year?
Keep an eye out for the World ATM Congress in Madrid in 2020, where Rohde & Schwarz is exhibiting. We will have some very attractive news for you.