Honeywell will sign an agreement in early April with the US Federal Aviation Administration to begin development of the local area augmentation system (LAAS), which will allow the global positioning system (GPS) to be used as the sole source of navigation information.
Honeywell has assembled a team which includes 20 airports, 10 airlines, four avionics companies and one aircraft manufacturer for the LAAS development programme. The company will sign a "Stage Zero" agreement with the FAA, under which the agency will provide assistance to the team as it develops standards for the LAAS.
Under Stage Zero, the team will design and produce a Special Category 1 differential GPS system. Later phases will lead to development of standards for a Cat 3 LAAS. The FAA plans to begin buying LAAS equipment in 2002, to replace its instrument landing systems and provide augmentation enabling satellite-based GPS to be used for sole-source navigation.
Honeywell's team includes AlliedSignal, Rockwell Collins and Sextant Avionique, as well as all the major US airlines and Boeing. Several overseas airports are represented in the team.
Source: Flight International
