Next Generation Technologies

Cutting-edge technologies designed to improve and enhance the air transportation system will be evaluated in the coming months and years. These technologies include:

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). A crucial component of the Next-Generation Air Transportation System, ADS-B provides pilots and controllers with real-time traffic and aeronautical information such as air-to-air surveillance, current weather conditions, and terrain maps. The integrity of this information remains constant and allows pilots to fly at reduced but safe distances from one another with less assistance from air traffic controllers. This will ultimately provide greater predictability in departure and arrival times.

Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS). This radar-based system tracks ground movements and provides an alert to controllers if evasive action is required. The FAA has installed AMASS at the nation’s top 34 airports.

System Wide Information Management (SWIM). This is a National Airspace (NAS)-wide information system that supports NextGen goals. It enables increased common situational awareness and improved NAS agility to deliver the right information to the right place at the right time.

Airport Wide Information Management (AWIM). Linked into the SWIM this technology allows a collaborative environment for information exchange between the subsystems on the airport and with the en-route airspace systems.

NextGen Network Enabled Weather Systems (NNEWS). Will support SWIM by enabling networked access of four dimensional and probabilisitic weather information and facilitating integration of information from various weather sources for better weather prediction and distribution.

Advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). This technology tracks wind hazards and aircraft wake vortices.

Surface Decision Support System. This system improves the efficiency of surface operations, providing safe taxi clearances thus reducing delays and monitoring surface traffic and taxiing aircraft improving safety.