Turning CNS infrastructure into a service

If communication, navigation, and surveillance infrastructure is the backbone of air navigation services, then data services are its blood. Putting the two together is the CNS DSP project.

Communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) is a system of technologies, procedures, and programmes that help pilots and air traffic controllers manage aviation. Specifically, CNS is used to establish aircraft location, enable airspace capacity, and improve decision-making.

"Without CNS, air transport would simply not exist," says Vojislav Milosavljevic, CNS Data Service Provision Project Leader at the European Satellite Service Provider (ESSP). The challenge is that the airspace is evolving, with new players being added, new threats emerging, and new technologies coming into play. As such, CNS must evolve too, moving from being a physical asset and towards a service-based approach.

"Historically, the communication, navigation and surveillance data service provision has been inherently constrained by the infrastructure that generates the data," adds Milosavljevic. "Today, with the regular increase in air transport demand and the ongoing quest for optimisation, more sophisticated ATM solutions are being implemented and the need for data as a service has emerged."

Helping to answer this need is the CNS Data Service Provision (CNS DSP) project.

One platform, many different users

The SESAR JU-funded project is developing a single platform to connect input data providers (e.g., ANSPs) with data service users. "The platform aims to offer a convenient, one-stop-shop where data can be entered, transformed into relevant services, and then made available to authorised aviation and non-aviation users," explains Milosavljevic.

To use the platform's services, each end user must be registered and sign a service provision contract with the data service provider. Once authorised, the end user only needs to submit their request via the platform. They will then receive the needed data service via the same central CNS DSP platform.

"Because the platform has access to each end user's user type, agreed service level, data access rights, and other relevant parameters, it can provide services tailored to the user's specific needs while also guaranteeing security and data protection," remarks Milosavljevic.

Three core services

Initially, the platform will provide three core services: a multi-sensor surveillance tracking service, an ATM data service provider for tactical and post operations solution, and a real-time Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring and interference service.

According to Milosavljevic, the multi-sensor surveillance tracking service is designed to provide users with a consolidated, cross-border picture of a situation in the airspace, such as the Alpine region of France, Italy and Switzerland. It does this by aggregating data from various surveillance sources, including secondary radars and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).

"Thanks to its use of diverse data sources and the sharing of this data through standardised mechanisms, this service offers users a cohesive surveillance picture of the surrounding airspace," notes Milosavljevic.

The ATM data service provider for tactical and post ops solution, on the other hand, is designed to deliver critical information to ATM stakeholders for use during the tactical and post-operation phases.

"By integrating the multi-sensor surveillance tracking service, this solution augments surveillance data with trajectory prediction, flight data from the network manager, meteorological data, and data from other sources, resulting in improved situational awareness and decision making," says Milosavljevic.

Navigating around GNSS interference

The third service, for GNSS monitoring and interference, is of particular importance in light of an increase in spoofing and jamming incidents. Whereas jamming intentionally interferes with a GNSS receiver's ability to lock on to an authentic GNSS signal, spoofing creates a false GNSS signal to suggest that a receiver is someplace that it is not.

"With aircraft increasingly depending on GNSS-based positioning, both types of interference pose an imminent threat to airspace safety," explains Milosavljevic.

One way to avoid such interference is to know where the spoofing and jamming is taking place, which is exactly what the CNS DSP GNSS monitoring and interference service does.

The service provides users with a range of tools for monitoring GNSS signal performance, position integrity, and interference. The service also provides both real-time and offline GNSS status per area, route, and related performance-based navigation (PBN) application.

Furthermore, the use of an advanced receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (A-RAIM) tool allows the service to compute the estimated integrity parameters based on the GNSS satellite constellation's geometry, visibility, and signal quality. This allows airlines, drone operators, and other end users to predict the expected level of GNSS service in a particular area of the airspace and, when necessary, to implement predefined contingency procedures.

"This service allows an airline to quickly see which flights are or will likely experience GNSS issues and at what time and location those issues will occur," remarks Milosavljevic. "The airline can then recommend switching the aircraft navigation source and time reference from GNSS to internal or manual mode to preserve navigation performance and ATC capabilities."

Future-proofed for the challenges of tomorrow

While each of these services are important, the airspace is always evolving, and today's solutions may not be able to answer the challenges of tomorrow.

"That's why CNS DSP is focused on future proofing our platform, ensuring that it is flexible enough to be upgraded to support new data types, new users, and new functionalities all while maintaining the core advantages of a one-stop-shop configuration," concludes Milosavljevic.

With the functional architecture, core interfaces, and preferred technical solutions now designed, the project is preparing to launch validation exercises starting next year.

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