The Military and Air Traffic Control

Abstract

The Department of Defense currently operates about 30 000 aircraft, the largest most varied single fleet of aircraft of those using the National Aviation System (NAS). For this and other important reasons discussed herein, military participation in evolving an efficient and effective NAS forces consideration of a number of important issues by the developers and operators of any future Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. These issues range from those critical aspects of national security and the sovereignty of our air space, through major economic factors in equipping military aircraft and facilities for operation in the NAS, to the necessity for optimizing safety and using efficiently the air space of the world. This paper discusses the roles of the military, both as a user and operator of ATC systems and as a developer of ATC related systems and equipments. The different areas of the NAS in which interfaces exist between the civil and military are defined. These areas include operations, organizational interfaces, and equipment and facility interfaces and in many cases are covered by formal agreements. By way of illustration, two typical military flights are used to show the combined interaction of a military aircraft with both civil and military ground facilities. Communications, navigation, and surveillance requirements are discussed with respect to the various phases of the example flights. An indication of the future ground systems (military and civil) with which military aircraft might interact emphasizes the heavy burden placed on the airborne electronics systems. The paper finally suggests possible approaches that can be considered to ensure that the airborne equipment will not only be compatible with the various military, FAA, and ICAO ground environments in which the aircraft will function, but will also provide some basis for standardization and for efficient spectrum utilization.