scope:

The origin of this document is traceable to a number of industry activities but focuses primarily on the evolving airspace operations to be implemented by NextGen and SESAR that appear feasible in the next decade.

From these inputs, the AEEC set out to define impacts to avionics architectures that would apply to new and retrofit airplanes, recognizing that the impacts on the architectures would vary as a function of the existing avionics baseline.

The equipage impacts described in ARINC Report 660B are intended to provide the airlines with the necessary information to evaluate modernization proposals, and to support the overall goal of fleet commonality while meeting operational requirements.

Note that the descriptions in ARINC Report 660B reflect avionics architectures from a transport category airline perspective but may also have application to the regional market in some aspects. For example, Sections 2 (INTRODUCTION TO NEXTGEN/SESAR CONCEPTS) and 4 (IMPLICATIONS FOR AIRBORNE FUNCTIONS) may be applicable to both the major and regional segments, while Sections 3 (AVIONICS REFERENCE ARCHITECTURES) and 5 (AVIONICS ARCHITECTURES TO SUPPORT NEXTGEN/SESAR) specifically speak to large transport category aircraft operators. Although unique military requirements are not addressed in this document, Military Transport Aircraft must satisfy the same requirements as commercial transport aircraft since most of their operations are in civil airspace.

Purpose

This document identifies and describes the aircraft avionics capability necessary for operation in the evolving Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) environment expected for the FAA NextGen program, Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program and considerations of the Japan Collaborative Actions for Renovation of Air Traffic Systems (CARATS). These capabilities are intended to satisfy the industry's long-term CNS/ATM operational objectives.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is developing an Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) plan to harmonize the Air Traffic Management (ATM) improvement programs across the globe. The ASBU defines target implementation timelines organized in four five-year blocks: Block 0 - 2013, Block 1 - 2018, Block 2 - 2023, and Block 3 - 2028 onward. Each Block addresses four aviation performance areas:

• Airport operations
• Globally-interoperable systems and data
• Optimum capacity and flexible flights
• Efficient flight paths

The Blocks contains Modules which define the Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) information management functions required for the aircraft and ground components. Descriptions of the ASBU Blocks and Modules can be found in the ICAO Working Document for the Aviation System Block Upgrades, The Framework for Global Harmonization, Issued 28 March 2013.

ATM Modernization plans emphasize broad use of datalink communication, GNSS navigation and the various surveillance capabilities to improve flight deck situational awareness and enhance performance-based operations. This document assesses the impact of airspace modernization plans to airborne avionics equipment and architectures, recognizing that the benefit from equipping aircraft may depend on coordinated changes to regulations, procedures, ground infrastructure, etc. The equipage analyses contained herein are intended to represent a high level system view that can be broadly disseminated to airlines, airspace planners, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), airframe manufacturers, avionics suppliers and others who participate in the development process. This document represents broad airline and industry consensus.

This document, ARINC Report 660B, is the successor to ARINC Report 660A published in 2001. It focuses on long-term CNS/ATM objectives. The architectures discussed in this document reflect current, evolving and end-state configurations to accommodate the current understanding of NextGen/SESAR plans.

The challenges to the industry set forth by this document require an unprecedented degree of cooperation. The benefits that the airlines expect are reduced avionics acquisition costs, reduced life cycle costs, early attainment of operational benefits, flexible software revisions, fleet commonality and system growth capacity.