Reduce the Cost of Implementing Legacy NAVAIDS in the NAS Through the Use of a COTS/NDI Based Acquisition Strategy

Abstract

As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) moves to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-centric navigation strategy, the agency has not refreshed their legacy Ground-Based Navigation Aids (NAVAIDS). These NAVAIDS include Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) providing precision all-weather landing services, Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) and DMEs providing traditional en route airways and Standard Instrument Departure/Arrival Route (SIDs/STARs) procedures, as well as DMEs operating in DME-DME networks supporting NextGen Performance Based Navigation (PBN). The legacy NAVAID fleet provides a vital role in providing GNSS resilient navigation services to Civil and Military users within the National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA faces continued supportability issues and declining availability due to the age of the legacy NAVAID fleet, directly impacting the ability of the FAA to provide navigation services in the event of a major disruption to GNSS services. A major obstacle in refreshing the NAVAID fleet is the cost of qualification and implementation of new equipment for operation within the NAS. The FAA can greatly accelerate the time to implement while simultaneously reducing the acquisition costs by using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) or Non-Developmental Item (NDI) acquisition strategies. With a COTS based acquisition strategy, the Government would seek to minimize or eliminate custom engineering, eliminate creation of Government specific documentation including manuals and training materials, and maximize use of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) design documentation, safety analysis, and logistics processes and procedures. These strategies have been successfully employed by the majority of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to reduce costs without compromising safety or quality.