Flight Trials

Flight Trial Demonstration of Secure GBAS via the L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS)

The Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) is the cornerstone for enabling automated landings without the Instrument Landing System (ILS). Currently GBAS is evolving to GBAS Approach Service Type-D (GAST-D) for Category (CAT) III landings. This development towards GBAS GAST-D extends GBAS via the use of multiple frequencies (L1/L2 and L5) and the use of multiple global navigation satellite system constellations. GBAS requires correction data to be broadcast to aircraft, which is currently handled via the VHF Data Broadcast (VDB) datalink. However, VDB has several known shortcomings: (1) low throughput, (2) small area of operation and (3) no cyber-security measures. In this paper we propose the use of the L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) for broadcasting GBAS correction data to address these shortcomings. In flight experiments conducted in 2019, we set up an experimental GBAS installation using LDACS. Broadcast data was secured using the Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication (TESLA) broadcast authentication protocol. Our results indicate that cryptographically secured GBAS data via LDACS can provide GAST-C and GAST-D services with high availability if cryptographic parameters are chosen appropriately.

Performance-Optimizing Secure GBAS over LDACS

VHF Data Broadcast (VDB) currently used by GBAS has been identified as a potential source of cyber-security concerns. The use of an alternative datalink providing the bandwidth for more capable security protocols has therefore been proposed and …

L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) flight trials in the national German project MICONAV

Today's voice-based air-ground communication system for aircraft guidance is suffering from increasing saturation of the VHF band in high density areas. Therefore the European Union strives for a transition from analog voice communication to more …