Global Air Traffic Management (GATM)

Abstract

Unfettered access to civil airspace is required for all Air Force platforms to perform their operational mission. To meet that requirement this program funds the AF Life Cycle Management Center (LCMC) Aerospace Management Systems Division (AMSD), the designated AF Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management and Navigational Safety (CNS/ATM) Center of Excellence (COE). This COE provides expertise to the Air Staff, MAJCOMs and all platform program offices, manned and un-manned, on meeting civil CNS/ATM performance standards necessary to operate in the US National Airspace System (NAS) and international civil airspace. This centralized capability precludes the necessity for the MAJCOMs and over 50 AF platform program offices to have resident technical CNS/ATM expertise. The COE monitors and evaluates ever-evolving international civil aviation standards for operations in sovereign airspace worldwide. Analyzing civil documents, CNS/ATM experts identify specific technical and engineering criteria and document them for AF stakeholders in Generic Performance Matrices (GPMs). Once identified, the Air Staff and MAJCOMs determine how the AF will address these civil standards for each platform to best perform the AF specific mission. When a material solution is required, CNS/ATM experts, considering the platform's engineering characteristics, work with the platform program office to meet the civil standards in the GPM. Once the work is complete, the COE verifies and validates the CNS/ATM performance meets the standards necessary to operate in the civil airspace. This is an iterative process to address both changes in civil airspace standards and shifts in AF military operational requirements. The COE manages Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts for centralized procurement of CNS/ATM and Nav Safety products. These contracts are used by platform programs across the AF and DOD, other federal agencies and in support of foreign military sales; they provide the benefits of quantity cost savings and industry-unique warranty clauses. The CNS/ATM COE performs periodic audits on the processes and procedures used to develop and distribute the Digital Aeronautical Flight Information File (DAFIF). This electronic navigation database, created by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), contains safety of flight critical information and is used by AF and DOD aircrews to fly instrument departure and arrival procedures worldwide. The COEs unique expertise is recognized and accepted by the NGA, the FAA, AF and DOD operating organizations. The AF is the Lead Service for DOD to coordinate the department's support of the Congressionally mandated Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) program to upgrade the US NAS over the next 25+ years. In 2012 the CNS/ATM COE was designated DOD's NextGen Joint Program Office (JPO). They are to provide acquisition and engineering support to coordinate activities across DOD and advocate for DOD interests as NextGen (and similar CNS/ATM programs being initiated worldwide) is implemented. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2014
• Source ID: 0305099F_7_3600_PB_2014
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Human Systems
• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Traffic
• Air Transportation
• Aircrafts
• Civil Aviation
• Contracts
• Cost Analysis
• Engineering
• Life Cycle Management
• Military Aircraft
• Procurement
• Program Management
• Research Facilities
• Safety
• Safety Equipment
• Sense And Avoid Systems
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

• Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Defense Technology Research and Development.

Technology Areas

• Microelectronics
• Space