[Scan-DC] VDL-3 takes off

[Kevin P. Inscoe]

Well I guess the only thing left for me to monitor soon will be the
trains and fortunately they would probably be too cheap to change out to
digital. ;-)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


APA 09-02
February 22, 2002
Contact: Tammy L. Jones
Phone: 202-267-3462

FAA Takes Major Step in Next Generation Air/Ground Communications
Program
                
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) has established 
government//industry agreements with three companies for the 
development of technology that integrates digital voice and data 
into air/ground communications.

Under the agreements, Rockwell Collins Commercial Systems, 
Melbourne, FL; Honeywell Aerospace Electronic Systems, 
Redmond, WA; and Avidyne Corp., Lincoln, MA, will develop VHF 
Digital Link Mode-3 (VDL-3) avionics.  The FAA will partially fund 
industry development of the airborne components of the Next 
Generation Air/Ground Communications (NEXCOM) program, which 
will enhance safety by replacing the ground radio system 
currently used for air traffic control communications with 
state-of-the-art digital technology. 

Rockwell Collins and Honeywell will incorporate VDL-3 technology 
to extend existing VHF digital radio multimode capabilities for 
commercial air carriers.  Avidyne Corp. will develop VDL-3 
avionics for general aviation. Within the next few months, the 
FAA will establish an agreement for the development of VDL-3 
avionics for business jets. 

The agreements will ensure availability of VDL-3 avionics to 
support the NEXCOM System Demonstration Program, which is 
scheduled for completion by the end of 2004. This program 
consists of a series of three demonstrations designed to illustrate 
the increasing maturity of VDL-3 technology. The agreements also 
will ensure that VDL-3 avionics equipment will be available to the 
aviation community when the NEXCOM system is implemented in 
the latter part of 2009. 

The NEXCOM system will enhance the FAA's ability to meet 
expanding air traffic control communication demands.

                                          ###

An electronic version of this news release is available via
the World Wide Web at: www.faa.gov/apa/pr/index.cfm
.



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~kevin
-- 
Kevin P. Inscoe          KE3VIN            Fixer of things
Frederick, MD 21703   Itinerary at http://inscoe.org/where
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"Business! Mankind was my business."        - Jacob Marley