The Eurocontrol Cascade programme is aimed at planning and co-ordinating the European implementation of automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B). This technique relies on aircrafts that automatically broadcast their identity, position and other aircraft information to enhance flight safety and efficiency.
The Cascade programme covers a number of ADS-B ground and airborne surveillance applications, which are now on the path towards implementation. Each proposed application has to prove that it has the potential to be acceptably safe before the implementation phase. It is the purpose of the Eurocontrol preliminary safety case (PSC) to demonstrate the safety of each application in a typical operational environment, mainly based on safety studies focusing on risk assessment and mitigation. This offers a common and uniform safety framework to facilitate the development of fully local safety cases across the ECAC area at a later stage.
Therefore, it is primordial that the PSCs are officially reviewed by the Safety Regulation Committee (SRC), which responsibility encompasses the development and uniform implementation of harmonised safety regulatory objectives and requirements for the European Air Traffic Management (ATM).
In the frame of this programme, Eurocontrol selected Egis to provide support to these Cascade safety-related activities. An Egis Avia-led team will provide assistance during the review cycles performed with the SRC for each Cascade application: ground-surveillance applications in radar areas (RAD) or at the airport surface (APT) and airborne surveillance applications for in-trail procedure (ITP), for visual separation on approach (VSA), for airborne traffic situational awareness (AIRB) and for traffic situational awareness on the surface (SURF).
Egis has already supported Eurocontrol in the development of a first PSC for the ground-surveillance applications in non-radar areas (NRA), which had a positive SRC review in early 2009.
In a wider scope, Egis has been involved in many projects of the Cascade programme over the recent years, especially in contributing to the development of safety, performance and interoperability standard material for the ADS-B applications in the frame of the ‘ADS-B Requirements Focus Group’ (RFG), operated as a joint Eurocae and RTCA activity. Through this new contract, Eurocontrol is reaffirming its confidence in Egis and together they are working for the harmonisation as well as the international standardisation and efficiency of implementation of ADS-B applications for all stakeholders across Europe.