The military airborne surveillance system (MASS), a military enhanced traffic alert and collision avoidance system developed by Phoenix-based ACSS, has been selected by Boeing for the 767 Global Tanker Transport Aircraft (GTTA).
The award overturns the selection of a Honeywell system, and is viewed by ACSS as a victory for the joint L-3 Communications and Thales company. Contract details are sparse.
MASS will help control formation flying and tanker rendezvous as well as "co-operative member" operations. Developed with the US Air Force's global air traffic management programme office and MIT's Lincoln Laboratories, the system can support up to 50 members and perform several types of surveillance.
Boeing Wichita is also recommending MASS for its joint 767- based UK tanker bid, while ACSS is studying a derivative for military helicopter applications. MASS is based on automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast technology, while the ACSS co-operative member functionality is a software change to the TCAS 2000 or T2CAS computer and the Mode S/IFF transponder.
Source: Flight International
