ATN Multilink Expansion in European Airspace

ongoing

"Aviation connectivity enables data exchange between aircraft and ground stations to support safe, sustainable and efficient Air Traffic Management. Today’s safety services rely on VDL 2 connectivity which faces increasing congestion issues. The SESAR solution PJ.14-W2-77 “Future Communication Infrastructure” (under ATN-IPS with backward compatibility to ATN-OSI) recommended the introduction of a new Multilink infrastructure (ATN-IPS) to address this congestion, with next generation communications technologies complementing existing solutions through seamless switching across multiple communication links. The SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrator Project “AMEA” will foster and accelerate the deployment of such multilink capabilities through integration of next generation SATCOM services alongside VDL Mode 2 in an ATN-OSI configuration as well as the next generation of secure ATN-IPS network. AMEA is an expansion of the CINEA DSD project ESMA which previously validated IRIS SATCOM and IPS capabilities in support of SESAR solution #109 “Air Traffic Services datalink using SatCom Class B”. In two complementary demonstrations, AMEA will extend the ESMA baseline with multilink capabilities within the aircraft avionics & ground ATM networks, complementing the required infrastructure for ATN-OSI configurations so that resilience and system performance with high volumes of data exchange can be measured and analyzed. Additionally, the next generation ATN-IPS network will be implemented & validated with a focus on security. During a 3-year flight campaign the consortium will validate concrete ATS B1 and B2 scenarios in European Airspace using a representative sample of aircraft from partner airlines during normal commercial flight operations. The objective is to mature the SESAR solutions #109 “Air Traffic Services datalink using SatCom Class B” to TRL8. AMEA also targets TRL 8 for PJ.14- W2-77 “Future Communication Infrastructure” using not fully qualified equipment in a lab environment. Even though AMEA will leverage some parts of SESAR 3 FCDI Solution 0340 “FCI Services– IPS Enhancements” and PJ.14-W2-107 “SATCOM Evolution towards IPS-based FCI”, AMEA project will not increase maturity of these solutions. The AMEA consortium brings a critical mass of leading aircraft manufacturers, communication service providers, avionics suppliers, airlines and ANSPs with the expertise, resources, and vision to manage the complex integration and expansion of multilink capabilities across Europe."