Thales Awarded U.S. Air Force NAVAIDS Family of Systems Program

Thales has been awarded the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Navigational Aids (NAVAIDS) Family of Systems (FOS) program to modernize the AN/FRN-44 Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR), AN/FRN-45 Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN), and AN/FRN-43 Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) infrastructure across the U.S. as well as at international USAF bases.

The NAVAIDS FOS provides navigation signals that allow aircraft to navigate en route and provide approach guidance to aircraft. Thales will replace the existing NAVAIDS with its more advanced and modern products that provide lower maintenance costs and remote maintenance monitoring capability.
“By leveraging certified commercially available technology as the foundation, Thales has engineered a cost effective solution that ensures the safe navigation for our flying warfighters,” said Tony Lo Brutto, Vice President, Thales Air Traffic Management U.S. “The advanced remote monitoring capability and higher system reliability will reduce USAF operating expenses, while providing the highest availability for the most advanced navigation support in the National Airspace System.”

“The NAVAIDS FOS modernization activity will involve replacing existing obsolete components with modern equipment, integrating them into the existing infrastructure, and enabling remote maintenance and status,” said Don Lytle, Chief of the Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS) Sustainment Branch.
Thales has supplied navigation and surveillance solutions to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Defense for more than 70 years. More than 3,000 Thales Air Traffic Management NAVAIDS are operational in the U.S., with over 7,000 operational across 170 countries around the globe.