Paul Lewis /WASHINGTON DC
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to lease new communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) equipment from industry to finally modernise its oceanic control centres. "We've looked for and settled on a new solution," says Nancy Graham, FAA's oceanic and offshore acting integrator product team leader. The authority is seeking a competitive "service arrangement" for a 5- to 8-year period during which it would operate but not own any of the systems.
"What we would provide are the controllers, supervisors and airspace management," Graham adds. This approach offers a major cost-saving on the estimated $250 million needed to purchase new CNS/ATM equipment for its Anchorage, Oakland and New York oceanic area control centres, as well as quicken the introduction into service of the new systems.
At the end of the contract period the service could either be extended or competed for again. "We're doing this because we're looking at rapidly-changing technology - its important that the FAA has the capability to keep pace over the next 20 years. This makes good business sense," says Graham. The FAA's decision follows a 90-day worldwide market survey conducted jointly with the US air traffic controllers union.
It included a look at Canada's Advanced ATC and Gander ATC systems, New Zealand's CAe Oceanic Computer System and Japan's NEC Ocean Data Processor, the Raytheon Autotrac system supplied to Mongolia. Thomson-CSF's Advanced Australian Air Traffic Service system is understood to have been of particular interest to the FAA.
The approach is similar to one in the UK where the government's Private Finance Initiative has led to the Civil Aviation Authority undertaking leasing buildings and equipment for up to 20 years. Lockheed Martin leads a consortium which is the preferred PFI contractor to build a new ATC centre in Scotland.
In addition to ADS, the FAA wants the new drop-in system architecture to include flight and radar data processing, controller pilot datalink communications and ATS data interface. "We need this integrated into one device and driven from glass," says Graham.
The authority plans to seek funding for the programme this month. The FAA hopes to select a provider later this year and award a contract by early 2001 with an initial CNS/ATM capability up and running by early 2001.
Improvements in hand include the replacement of Oakland's oceanic computer system with a new Y2k-compliant mainframe by July. A Raytheon multi-sector oceanic datalink has been commissioned at the centre, providing VHF and satellite digital text communication coverage of all seven Pacific oceanic airspace sectors.
Source: Flight International
