ACP-WG-F31/WP-20
International Civil Aviation Organization
WORKING PAPER
AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS PANEL (ACP)
31st MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP F (WG F)
Seattle, Washington 6th – 10th October 2014
Agenda Item 8: Development of potential updates to ICAO WRC-15 Position
Update of ICAO Position for WRC-15 to include information on global tracking and surveillance
and planned use of Satellite ADS-B
(Presented by John Taylor)
SUMMARY
This working paper discusses the benefits of global aircraft tracking and
surveillance via satellite and availability of aircraft position data to ANSP’s
that will support various efficiencies being requested by airlines.
ACTION
WG-F is invited to consider the benefits of global tracking and surveillance.
That the regulatory allocation matter for ADS-B via satellite should be
included in the ICAO WRC-15 Position to highlight the satellite reception of
existing aircraft ADS-B signals in the Earth-to-space direction only.
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1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The unfortunate recent events that have resulted in the loss of commercial aircraft in
remote oceanic areas, had brought a focus on the need for global aircraft surveillance and tracking. ICAO
convened a multi-disciplinary meeting in May on global tracking and surveillance, for experts to agree on
recommendations and a plan of action. In the meantime subsequent to this meeting, and add-hoc working
group is working on a draft aircraft tracking concept of operations document. A final version will be
available mid next year.
1.2
Since the introduction of the FANS 1A concept by ICAO, the aviation industry has seen
increasing implementation of satellite terminal equipment on aircraft that have FANS 1A compliant
avionics packages. The FANS concept supports ADS-C and CPDLC, these satellite communication
services are available on both Inmarsat and Iridium constellations. A non-ICAO standardised ADS-C
service is also available on the Globalstar satellite network. Airline operators decide their needs and
requirements based on their individual aircraft routes and operations in remote oceanic regions. ADS-C
can support periodic reporting of aircraft position, location and other parameters by request from air
traffic management.
1.3
ICAO has also developed and standardized ADS-B, a system that supports both groundbased and airborne surveillance applications. In airborne applications, aircraft equipped with ADS-B
receivers can also process messages from other aircraft to determine the location of surrounding traffic,
the data is used by air traffic management as a primary means of aircraft separation. However in oceanic,
Polar and remote regions the installation of ground based facilities is often not feasible or practical,
therefore ADS-B position data from aircraft operating in these regions is unavailable to air traffic
management.
1.4
Presently a space-based system is under development using ADS-B receivers on a LEO
satellite constellation that will provide global coverage and overcome the aforementioned limitations of
terrestrial ADS-B receiver ground stations. The objective is to have ADS-B receivers on each satellite.
The satellite network receivers would have the capability of providing ADS-B position, velocity data and
message integrity from aircraft in near real time, for air traffic management processing and display.
1.5
Satellite communications supporting ADS-C and ADS-B has the potential to
revolutionise aircraft tracking and surveillance coverage in oceanic, Polar and remote regions globally.
These complimentary technologies can provide aircraft tracking and surveillance as foreseen by the ICAO
add-hoc working group tasked to produce a draft aircraft tracking concept of operations document.
2.
DISCUSSION
2.1
As the industry experiences increasing implementation of FANS 1A compliant aircraft,
this in itself has increased the deployment of satellite terminal equipment on these aircraft for ADS-C and
CPDLC capability. There are limitations on aircraft equipage as a result of non-compliant FANS 1A
avionics packages and also aircraft size. (eg; smaller airframe categories) There are no spectrum
regulatory issues needing to be addressed regarding ADS-C or CPDLC, the communications are achieved
using spectrum allocated in the Mobile Satellite Service 1.5/1.6 GHz bands.
2.2
The ICAO standardized extension of SSR transponder functionality to include Mode S,
and Mode S Extended Squitter, is the basis for provision of ADS-B. Any aircraft that can be equipped
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with a transponder can have ADS-B. Accordingly, many commercial transport aircraft operating in
international civil airspace are ADS-B equipped. In addition, many States are mandating the requirement
for the use of ADS-B in their domestic airspace. The operation of ADS-B is authorised in the same SSR
frequency band 1 030 – 1 090 MHz on a global basis. However, since the satellite reception of the ADS-B
signals from aircraft to the satellite has not been done before, a regulatory matter needs to be addressed to
formally authorise the uplink of the safety service. It is thought the most appropriate allocation
designation would be an Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Service allocation (AMS(R)S).
2.3
ITU WP 5B is developing a new ITU-R Report [ADS-B] on the growing deployment of
ADS-B surveillance in the 1089 – 1091 MHz band while also introducing the satellite reception of
existing aircraft ADS-B signals that would provide global surveillance coverage of all oceanic, Polar and
remote regions.
2.4
At the recent 38th ICAO Assembly, the Commission also noted that the matter of a
potential allocation to receive ADS-B by satellite had recently been brought to the attention to the ITU
Radiocommunication Sector and the Air Navigation Commissions’ Aeronautical Communications Panel
– Working Group F (Frequency), which is the relevant group of experts within the framework of ICAO.
In terms of the ICAO Position, which had been approved by Council following a formal review by
Contracting States and relevant International Organizations, it was foreseen that an update might be
needed to reflect the outcome of ongoing WRC-15 preparatory studies. Such an update would include
consideration of the ADS-B issue, as appropriate.
3.0
ACTION BY THE MEETING
The meeting is invited to note the tracking and surveillance benefits via satellite for ADSC and ADS-B and the potential for improved efficiencies in air traffic management, flight planning,
safety, and reduced operating costs to the airlines.
Further, the meeting is invited to consider ongoing development of ITU-R Report [ADSB] in WP 5B. The ITU- R Report will be an important reference document relative to satellite ADS-B.
That the attached information should be included in the ICAO Position for the benefit of
raising awareness on the regulatory action needed for the Earth-to-space receive only uplink of existing
aircraft ADS-B signals that will provide global surveillance coverage.
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ANNEX
Information on satellite tracking and surveillance under WRC-15
Agenda Item 9.1 or WRC-AI 1.19
Recent global events involving the loss of commercial transport aircraft, where the exact position and
location of the aircraft was not definitively known, prompted a reaction of the aviation industry to analyse
what could be done to provide global tracking and surveillance of aircraft at all times.
ICAO convened a multi-disciplinary meeting on global tracking in May 2014 with participation from
States, industry, chairs and co-chairs of several ANC Panels and related specialists to reach a common
agreement on the first steps in making global tracking a priority.
Currently a very high percentage of the Earth’s surface is not covered by conventional radar, therefore to
have global tracking and surveillance of aircraft in remote oceanic and Polar regions requires satellite
communications, and the availability of the aircraft position information to air traffic management and or
the aircraft operator. Availability of timely aircraft position and location information is a key enabler for
the appropriate reaction to an aircraft in distress, such as invoking emergency response or search and
rescue activity.
ICAO over many years has developed a combination of SARP’s and guidance material that has assisted
the use of technologies in the aviation industry, accordingly satellite communication technologies have
seen growing implementation in recent years. One technology using on-board aircraft satellite terminal
equipment can be used for periodic reporting of aircraft position and other information to air traffic
management. The ADS-C technology has seen increased equipage on FANS 1A compliant commercial
aircraft, however the ADS-C technology is not suitable for installation on all aircraft sizes, or aircraft with
avionics packages that are not FANS 1A compliant. There are no spectrum regulatory issues to be
addressed for the provision of ADS-C.
ICAO has also developed ADS-B that is a standardised technology supporting both ground-based and
airborne aircraft surveillance applications, ADS-B equipage is on-board many commercial transport
aircraft. In airborne applications, aircraft ADS-B receivers can also process the messages from other
aircraft to determine the location of surrounding traffic. However in oceanic, Polar and remote regions the
installation of ground based receiver facilities is not feasible or practical, satellite communications would
also be required to provide aircraft ADS-B data to air traffic management.
Presently a space-based ADS-B satellite system is under development that will provide global coverage
and overcome the aforementioned limitations of terrestrial ADS-B ground stations. The objective is to
have ADS-B receivers on each satellite. The satellite network would receive existing ADS-B aircraft
signals which are autonomously broadcast twice per second containing position, velocity data and
message integrity. This data can be provided in near real time to air traffic management. Initial launch of
the satellite constellation will begin in mid 2015, with operational capability in 2017. Satellite ADS-B is
foreseen as a complimentary surveillance and tracking technology to ADS-C, the aviation industry can
benefit from using satellite communications to have global surveillance and tracking.
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Satellite ADS-B surveillance is included in the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and this is also
within the 2013-2018 implementation horizon for the ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU’s)
for Block 0 and planning horizon for Block 1. Satellite reception of ADS-B signals is being considered
mainly to support en-route applications. It is noted that many of the ASBU Module upgrades would
provide even greater benefits if they are implemented in an airspace environment where global en-route
aircraft surveillance is available in near real time to air traffic management.
The standard terrestrial secondary surveillance radar (SSR) operates in the aeronautical 1 030 – 1 090
MHz band, the ground station interrogations are at 1 030 MHz, the aircraft replies are at 1 090 MHz.
Aircraft ADS-B transmissions are at 1 090 MHz only, the airborne system operates autonomously without
any requirement for ground station interrogations. The air to air and air to ground ADS-B transmissions
operate under a global allocation to the Aeronautical Mobile Route Service (AMRS) and have been in use
for many years, they are compliant with ICAO Standards and are compatible with other aeronautical and
non civil systems.
At the last WRC-12, it was not foreseen that satellite reception of aircraft ADS-B signals would require
regulatory action by a WRC to formalise an allocation for the aircraft to the satellite uplink. Passive
reception of the aircraft ADS-B signals by satellite will require regulatory action by WRC-15 to consider
an AMS(R)S allocation in the 1089 – 1091 MHz band for the aircraft to satellite receive only uplink of
existing ADS-B transmissions.
ICAO Position:
Support a new provision or modifications to existing
provisions for an AMS(R)S allocation in the Earth-to-space
direction in the band 1 089 – 1 091 MHz for the satellite
reception of existing aircraft ADS-B signals operating in
accordance with recognised international aeronautical
standards.