Avionics architecture study for air mobility command aircraft

New standards for air traffic management (ATM) are being developed within official aeronautical organizations throughout the world. The Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) is planning for new avionics or avionics upgrades to ensure its aircraft have airspace access worldwide. AMC tasked the air traffic control and landing systems (ATCALS) system program office (SPO) of the Air Force Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB), Massachusetts, to investigate avionics architectures for equipping AMC aircraft. This paper summarizes that study, which was performed by ESC and Mitre Corporation staff located in Bedford, Massachusetts, under the ATCALS project, and Arinc Inc., of Annapolis, Maryland.