ARMY AL&T
Throughout the 60-year history of Army ATC, one thing has remained both constant and consistent: the systems that support the ATC mission. Although software is updated as it is modernized, the Army air traffic systems of today largely perform the same tasks as their predecessors, and they remain physically similar. The primary reason for the static nature of ATC’s physical evolution is that the basic designs simply have not required change. ATC systems are iconic and instantly recognizable in both civilian and military versions at airports, airfields, and heliports worldwide. Like Howitzers and battle tanks, they have withstood the test of time and require little more than updating the technology to remain relevant.
Army Tactical Air Traffic Control
The four primary Army ATC facilities and mission areas are tower, ground controlled approach and surveillance radar, flight following and airspace management, and expeditionary terminal control. These missions are the same in peacetime and wartime environments.
The organization charged with developing and supporting the Army fixed-base and tactical systems necessary to support the ATC mission is Product Manager ATC Systems (PM ATC). PM ATC is a chartered acquisition organization under Program Executive Office Aviation and Project Manager Aviation Systems. It supports Army airfields worldwide with tactical ATC systems that enable safe operations of Army, joint, and civil aircraft.
The tactical ATC systems of today’s Army are much more diverse and pro- vide capabilities well beyond those of the traditional ATC separation and control functions. Recent combat operations generated the need for more diverse mission sets and an expanded set of ATC requirements. One of the primary issues facing the Army’s ATC
25 OCTOBER –DECEMBER 2010
The tactical ATC systems of today’s Army are much more diverse and provide capabilities well beyond those of the traditional ATC separation and control functions.
community today is the complexity of the airspace and continued safe operation over combat zones. In concert with the Army’s modular redesign efforts, Airspace Command and Control (C2) nodes within the Army Air-Ground System received significant attention regarding the improvement of airspace manage- ment over tactical areas of operation.
Key DOD and Army initiatives, direc- tives, and elements driving today’s
modernization and development include “net-centric” operations, interoper- ability, information assurance (IA), and information enterprise architecture. The introduction of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into controlled airspace has required that software and process upgrades move forward rapidly. The DOD Information Enterprise Architec- ture provides a common foundation to support accelerated transformation to net-centric operations.
The Product Manager Air Traffic Control Systems (PM ATC)-managed Digital Airport Surveillance Radar is a common sight at both military and civilian airports. (Photo courtesy of PM ATC.)
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
