Airservices Australia has contracted Frequentis for a Bypass Voice Communication System (BVCS) to be used in the new Civil Military Air Traffic Management System (CMATS). CMATS will replace the current independent civil and military air traffic management systems with one advanced, unified system, as part of the OneSKY Program. The BVCS will be completely independent from the main VCS, providing the required resilience.
“Airservices is transforming how air traffic management is delivered in Australia through the OneSKY program. The program will enable a number of capabilities to airspace users, including business continuity, shared use airspace, trajectory-based operations, and route optimisation. A key milestone for OneSKY is the voice communication solution, which is provided by Frequentis. The BVCS will further enhance reliability and resilience, providing a backup capability to more than 200 operator positions for our enroute and terminal area operations,” says Airservices Australia CEO Jason Harfield.
In 2019, Frequentis provided Airservices with its VCS technology at Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth, replacing Airservices’ legacy communication system with its VOIP-based system, VCS3020X. Frequentis also provides the Main VCS and Airfield Management System for the Royal Australian Air Force sites, included in CMATS. Frequentis will now provide an independent IT-based backup voice communication solution for Airservices sites, which doesn’t share the same software, hardware, or interfaces as the main VCS. The Airservices BVCS systems, based on the Frequentis VCS X10, will be built at the new Frequentis Integration Facility in Brisbane, involving Frequentis’ local supply chain.
“We are delighted to be supporting Airservices Australia to streamline air traffic services to support their airspace demands, as well as well as enhancing shared situational awareness for both civil and military aviation, improving business continuity. The BVCS will allow Airservices to continue to use the full CMATS capability and flexibility enabled by an IT VCS solution that supports the key objectives of CMATS, as well as resolving any potential obsolescence and support issues,” says Frequentis Australasia managing director Martin Rampl.