Civil/Military Users: Whose Airspace is it Anyway? Kim O’Neil Advanced Aviation Technology Ltd. AAT

Objectives F To Set the Scene F Key Issues to be addressed: –Safety –Military Requirements –Institutional Issues –The future of Air Traffic Management –Civil/Military Operations and Cooperation AAT

Introduction F Conference Addresses Many Issues: –Wide coverage –In Depth –Relevant –Current F Your Active Participation Encouraged AAT

Origins of ATC AAT

Origins of ATC F Origins in WW II –Driven by Defence Need to Control Airspace F Enormous Growth in Civil Aviation –Major Global Business –Need to Manage Safety of Airspace F Decline in Military Budgets –Changing Tactical Requirements AAT

Origins of ATC F Traditional Civil/Military Relationships: –Major Changes, but –Change Lags behind Need –Still too many “Sacred Cows”? F Hot Issues NEED vigorous debate –Longstanding relationships/protocols –Obstruct Constructive Debate AAT

Change F Privatisation/Corporatisation F Civil ATC Losing Governmental ‘Authority’ –Just another commercial service? –New Roles for “Airspace Policy”? F Undreamt Areas: –Global ATC providers? –Not Located in Country where services provided? AAT

Civil/Military Interests F Civil/Military Cooperation Based on: –Airspace Use and Safety –Sharing Resources/Services –Compatibility/Interoperability –Reducing/Sharing Costs F Mutual Interest….? –Or Mutually Self Assured Destruction? AAT

Civil/Military Cooperation F Military Origins of ATC: –Initially funded –Technological development –Military still big investors F Civil Aviation an Ungrateful Child? –Why so little common ground? AAT

Civil/Military Cooperation F Changes in Civil Aviation: –New Technology –New Techniques –New Requirements F Impact on Military Costs –May be No Direct Benefits –Costs may be Very Big AAT

Civil/Military Technology F CNS/ATM: –Datalink (VDL 2/3/4?) –MLS (or GNSS?) –Mode S (or ADS-B?) F Cost/Benefits: –Not Accepted by Civil Airlines –Military Benefits but Few Civil Benefits F Implementation: –Not Enforceable by Civil ATC AAT

Civil/Military Interface F Airspace Users: –Civil Airlines –Military F Civil ATC ‘authorities’: –Arbitrator between Airspace Users? –Or Obstacle? AAT

Civil/Military Interface F Role of Civil ATC ‘Arbritration’: –Gloriously Unsuccessful –Unproductive –Expensive F Time for a New Approach? –Direct Liaison between Airspace Users –Airlines and Military AAT

Civil/Military Interface F Civil/Military ATC Needs can Conflict: –Military require Primary Radar –Secondary only Required for Civil En-route –Result: Reductions in Primary Radars –Also Rejection of Mode S F Tactical Benefits of MLS to Military –Minimal Benefits over ILS for Civil Aviation AAT

Civil Perceptions? AAT

Air Traffic Management F Civil and Military Controllers: –Sit side-by-side in ATC Centres –Facilitate Management of Civil/Military Traffic –Adjacent Airspace and Crossing Traffic F Tactical Need to occupy Civil Airspace: –Political Consent of States Required –Limited Cooperation over National Boundaries –Still a ‘Local’ Arrangement………. AAT

Air Traffic Management F Civil/Military Airspace Sharing: –Restricted by Civil ATM –Civil ATM Procedures too Limited (ASAS?) –ATC not ATM F Crowded Empty Skies??? –Limitations of ATC intervention F Free Flight: –The Ultimate Answer? AAT

Flexible Use of Airspace F Flexible Use of Airspace? “Airspace should no longer be designated as either military or civil, but should be considered as one continuum and used flexibly on a day-to-day basis….. Any necessary airspace segregation should be only of a temporary nature” F Pie in the Sky? AAT

Flexible Use of Airspace F Too Grand an Objective? –Benefits Overstated? –Two-way Process? OR –Civil Monster Consuming Military Airspace? –Or Poor Management of Civil Airspace? F What are the Real Benefits….? –What are the Obstacles? AAT

Flexible Use of Airspace F How “Flexible” is it? F Civil Airspace Released for Military Use? –Not if it disrupts Airline schedules? F Are Civil Users willing to share? –All Airspace Flexible? Two-way? AAT

Airspace F Who is Responsible for: –Airspace Concepts? –Airspace ‘Policy’? –Airspace Design? F If Airspace is just a Resource…… –Issues are more about Commercial Realities –Safety, Capacity, Efficiency, Sharing - of course –Competition for a Scarce Resource…... AAT

Airspace Politics F Whose Airspace is it? –Need Clearer Political Direction –Recognise Commercial Imperitives –Based on Far-reaching Concepts –Free of Petty Considerations –Embracing new Techniques/Technology –Cost/Effective F Complete with Business Case Too AAT

The End! Open Eyes. Open Mind. AAT