HONEYWELL AND Rockwell are on course for further conflict in the traffic-alert and collision-avoidance (TCAS) market as both companies announce progress with their product lines.
British Airways is to be the launch customer for Honeywell's TCAS II system (dubbed TCAS 2000). The unit is scheduled for certification in July 1997.
The TCAS 2000 will be offered with an improved receiver of greater range and sensitivity, increased processor speed and memory. It will also be lighter than the current unit.
The US Federal Aviation Administration's "Change 7" will be the first software update planned for the TCAS 2000 in late 1998. The Change 7 will make TCAS more compatible with different air-traffic-control systems around the world.
Rockwell's Collins Air Transport division, meanwhile, has announced that it is to enhance its TCAS by more than doubling its en route surveillance range to more than 180km (100nm) - claiming the longest range in the industry. The changes, planned for late 1997, also include adding Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast capability to the TCAS/Mode-S through integration of GPS-based navigation and communications functions.
Source: Flight International
