NEXCOM Next Generation Air/Ground Communications Briefing Presented to AMCP Working Group M Montreal, Canada December 16, 2002 James T. Eck Air/Ground Communications Product Team Lead Federal Aviation Administration

2 NEXCOM Acquisition Program Elements Multimode Digital Radio Analog & digital Ground System System Demo Program NEXCOM architecture & commercial avionics Digital capability for voice and data VHF T/R RIU GNI Avionics Analog & digital

3 NEXCOM Schedule System Demo Program 10/03 System Demo II 10/04 Operational Demo 10/02 System Demo I Multimode Digital Radio 7/01 Contract Award MDR deployment Rule Making 1/04 NPRM 6/03 Begin Formal Internal Coordination 6/04 Initiate Final Rule 6/05 Rule Published 8/03 Notice of Availability TSO 9/03 AEEC Approved Char. Avionics 8/04 Certified Aircraft 10/01 MOPS 10/02 Strawman Characteristics Complete 12/09 Operational 6/05-12/09 Aircraft equip Ground System 10/01 Sys Reqs Doc 11/02 RPDE Source Selection 1/05 Full Scale Dev Contract Award Implementation Validation & Inter-Operability Tests with Airborne Avionics 10/07 Keysite 8/03 Notice of Availability TSO 9/03 AEEC Apprvd Char. 12/01 GIAs 5/03 Begin Deployment 8-12/02 Ops Testing

4 National Airspace System Transition to Digital Communications Dem/Val Analog Voice, 25 KHz Initial Datalink (VDL-2) Full Operational Evaluation & Exercise of Digital Voice and Datalink (VDL-3) Next 5 years VDL-2 Datalink Analog Voice 5-10 years Maintain Terminal Analog Voice Implement VDL-3 Digital Voice Expand Datalink VDL-2 Applications Enroute High Airspace National Airspace RCAG ARTCC VDL-3 Link years Expand Enroute Digital Voice (VDL-3) Initiate Terminal Digital Voice (VDL-3) Increase Datalink Capacity & Capability (VDL-2 & VDL-3) Terminal Airspace years Expand Digital Voice (VDL-3) to all domains Expand Datalink Capacity in all domains and all applications (VDL-2 & VDL-3) AFSS

5 NAS Data Link Transition FAA views VDL Mode 2 and VDL Mode 3 as complementary, not competing technologies CPDLC initially will be fielded on VDL-2 –Only viable technology in required time ( ) –Stepping stone for data link use in air traffic control –FAA pays ATC message charges CPDLC available on VDL-3 in 2012 –Potential for other applications (e.g. weather) on VDL-3 Datalink applications still available to VDL-2 service providers –Users would pay any associated message charges VDL-2 remains essential for the purpose it was developed –AOC and other air traffic management functions –FAA does not plan to provide AOC-type information on VDL-3

6 International Harmonization FAA strongly supports the 1995 ICAO COM/OPS/DIV decision for digital, TDMA-based voice and data link as the future air/ground communications technology