UAS Integration into the NAS

Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is the transformation of the US national air transportation system to alleviate the current congestion in the air and airports and in anticipation of the demands on the national air transportation system in the future. The US Congress enacted NextGen in 2003 under President Bush, creating the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) to manage the different agencies partnering to design and develop NextGen. The partnerships include private sector organizations, academia, and government agencies such as the Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Defense, and Homeland Security, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and the Offices of Science and Technology Policy and Director of National Intelligence. The goals of NextGen are to develop new technologies while leveraging legacy technologies to support the transformation; to create capabilities and the highly interdependent technologies that will change the operations of the air transportation system, reduce traffic and passenger congestion, and improve overall flying experience (Fact Sheet – NextGen, 2014).

NextGen programs include the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), System Wide Information management (SWIM), NextGen Data Communications, NextGen Network Enabled Weather, and NAS Voice Switch. ADS-B is the backbone of the NextGen system, currently in use and will be required on all commercial and GA aircraft by the year 2020, it takes the sense and avoid capabilities of aircraft to the next level (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), 2014). ADS-B can significantly enhance UAS’ ability to detect, sense, and avoid other aircraft on the grid. Other benefits of NextGen technology include: “trajectory based operations allow pilots and dispatchers to select their own efficient flight paths instead of following the existing “interstate in the sky” type routs;” a collaborative air traffic management system between air traffic managers and flight operators; reduced weather impacts through information sharing, improved weather forecasting; higher density airports through new and improved surface movement with reduced spacing and separation requirements; and allowing flexibility in terminals and airports allowing increase in throughput by uncovering previously untapped system capacity (Fact Sheet – NextGen, 2014).

However, this technology comes at a cost and may not be applicable to all UAV categories at the moment. The equipment necessary to utilize ADS-B adds weight and power demands on the air vehicle. While these requirements may be negligible on medium range to MALE/HALE UAV designs, they are of note when incorporating into smaller unmanned platforms where space, weight, and power are at a premium. The effect of the additional demands on the system comes into consideration compared to endurance or payload capacity.

            Additionally, while NextGen technology paves the way for increase integration of UAS into the MAS UAS operators will still play a big role to prevent collisions with manned aircraft. As UAS pilots they must maintain situational awareness of their aircraft and also perform analogous air traffic control (ATC) functions in conjunction with other operators to maintain separation in segregated airspace. In non-segregated airspace, UAS operators must comply with local ATC instructions if they are to operate safely within the vicinity of commercial and general aviation aircraft. NextGen aims to provide a comprehensive solution for all involved to maintain a high level of reliability and safety.

In looking towards integration of UAS into the NAS, the US Air Force issued a request for information to technology vendors to build sense and avoid systems for its drones, called the Common-Airborne Sense and Avoid (C-ABSAA) Program (Cooney, 2013). The AF seeks alternatives to the Certificate of Authorization process to increase its mission options as military and commercial use of UASs expands. This, however, only addresses one issue of the many facing UAV integration into the NAS to include ensuring reliable command, control, and communications, failsafe actions in loss-link situations, network security and anti-jamming or anti-spoofing capabilities, and interference issues in saturated RF spectrum.

 

Reference

Cooney, M. (2013, September 23). Air Force wants technology that will let drones sense and avoid other aircraft. Retrieved from Network World: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2225425/security/air-force-wants-technology-that-will-let-drones-sense-and-avoid-other-aircraft.html

Fact Sheet – NextGen. (2014, June 17). Retrieved from FAA: http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsid=8145