Civil/Military Users:

Whose Airspace is it Anyway?

Kim O’Neil

Advanced Aviation Technology Ltd.

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Objectives To Set the Scene Key Issues to be addressed:

– Safety– Military Requirements – Institutional Issues– The future of Air Traffic Management– Civil/Military Operations and Cooperation

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Introduction

Conference Addresses Many Issues:– Wide coverage– In Depth– Relevant– Current

Your Active Participation Encouraged

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Origins of ATC AAT

Origins of ATC

Origins in WW II– Driven by Defence Need to Control Airspace

Enormous Growth in Civil Aviation– Major Global Business– Need to Manage Safety of Airspace

Decline in Military Budgets– Changing Tactical Requirements

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Origins of ATC

Traditional Civil/Military Relationships:– Major Changes, but– Change Lags behind Need– Still too many “Sacred Cows”?

Hot Issues NEED vigorous debate– Longstanding relationships/protocols– Obstruct Constructive Debate

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Change

Privatisation/Corporatisation Civil ATC Losing Governmental ‘Authority’

– Just another commercial service?– New Roles for “Airspace Policy”?

Undreamt Areas:– Global ATC providers?– Not Located in Country where services provided?

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Civil/Military Interests

Civil/Military Cooperation Based on:

– Airspace Use and Safety

– Sharing Resources/Services

– Compatibility/Interoperability

– Reducing/Sharing Costs

Mutual Interest….?

– Or Mutually Self Assured Destruction?

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Civil/Military Cooperation

Military Origins of ATC:– Initially funded– Technological development– Military still big investors

Civil Aviation an Ungrateful Child?– Why so little common ground?

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Civil/Military Cooperation

Changes in Civil Aviation:– New Technology– New Techniques– New Requirements

Impact on Military Costs– May be No Direct Benefits– Costs may be Very Big

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Civil/Military Technology CNS/ATM:

– Datalink (VDL 2/3/4?)– MLS (or GNSS?)– Mode S (or ADS-B?)

Cost/Benefits:– Not Accepted by Civil Airlines– Military Benefits but Few Civil Benefits

Implementation:– Not Enforceable by Civil ATC

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Civil/Military Interface Airspace Users:

– Civil Airlines

– Military

Civil ATC ‘authorities’:

– Arbitrator between Airspace Users?

– Or Obstacle?

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Civil/Military Interface Role of Civil ATC ‘Arbritration’:

– Gloriously Unsuccessful– Unproductive– Expensive

Time for a New Approach?

– Direct Liaison between Airspace Users

– Airlines and Military

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Civil/Military Interface

Civil/Military ATC Needs can Conflict:

– Military require Primary Radar

– Secondary only Required for Civil En-route

– Result: Reductions in Primary Radars

– Also Rejection of Mode S

Tactical Benefits of MLS to Military

– Minimal Benefits over ILS for Civil Aviation

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Civil Perceptions? AAT

Air Traffic Management Civil and Military Controllers:

– Sit side-by-side in ATC Centres– Facilitate Management of Civil/Military Traffic– Adjacent Airspace and Crossing Traffic

Tactical Need to occupy Civil Airspace:– Political Consent of States Required– Limited Cooperation over National Boundaries– Still a ‘Local’ Arrangement……….

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Air Traffic Management Civil/Military Airspace Sharing:

– Restricted by Civil ATM– Civil ATM Procedures too Limited (ASAS?)– ATC not ATM

Crowded Empty Skies???– Limitations of ATC intervention

Free Flight:– The Ultimate Answer?

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Flexible Use of Airspace

Flexible Use of Airspace?

“Airspace should no longer be designated as either military or civil, but should be considered as one continuum and used flexibly on a day-to-day basis….. Any necessary airspace segregation should be only of a temporary nature”

Pie in the Sky?

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Flexible Use of Airspace

Too Grand an Objective? – Benefits Overstated?– Two-way Process? OR– Civil Monster Consuming Military Airspace?– Or Poor Management of Civil Airspace?

What are the Real Benefits….?– What are the Obstacles?

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Flexible Use of Airspace

How “Flexible” is it?

Civil Airspace Released for Military Use?– Not if it disrupts Airline schedules?

Are Civil Users willing to share?– All Airspace Flexible? Two-way?

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Airspace Who is Responsible for:

– Airspace Concepts?– Airspace ‘Policy’?– Airspace Design?

If Airspace is just a Resource……– Issues are more about Commercial Realities– Safety, Capacity, Efficiency, Sharing - of course– Competition for a Scarce Resource…...

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Airspace Politics Whose Airspace is it?

– Need Clearer Political Direction– Recognise Commercial Imperitives– Based on Far-reaching Concepts– Free of Petty Considerations– Embracing new Techniques/Technology– Cost/Effective

Complete with Business Case Too

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The End!

Open Eyes. Open Mind.

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