Civil-military CNS interoperability: call for a performance-based approach

The aim of these Information Days was to advance civil-military and military-military CNS interoperability, in the context of interoperability regulations, network management and research and development. Particular emphasis was given to the development of the appropriate regulatory roadmap and to the latest status of EUROCONTROLs CNS and spectrum activities and programmes.

Following several presentations illustrating the state-of-the-art technological ATM/CNS developments and including proposals for future migratory roadmaps on enhanced civil-military CNS interoperability, participants agreed that cost-efficient solutions must be found to cope with military procurement and technical constraints, while meeting Single European Sky objectives and global interoperability targets.

There was consensus on the need to follow performance-based approaches that enable the optimal use of existing military capabilities and to minimise exemptions and derogations for state aircraft equipage, while retaining transition arrangements to accommodate legacy aircraft.

The participants identified interoperability areas where the military should focus on. These included: upcoming ground communications Internet protocols (IP), equipage with VHF 8.33 kHz channel spacing radios, ATM-related air-ground data link communications, Performance-Based Navigation (PBN), Satellite-Based Navigation, Automatic Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), surveillance data sharing, system anomalies, spectrum coordination and civil-military standards development.

A wide range of organisations was represented, underlining the importance that the international community attaches to interoperability developments: the Austrian, Belgium, Italian, French, Turkish, Norwegian and Swiss Air Forces; NATO International Staff and Agencies; the US Department of Defence and European defence industries.