ATN over IP models for evaluation

The global aviation community has pursued the development and implementation of an industry-specific set of communications standards known as the aeronautical telecommunications network (ATN) for over 15 years. The ATN comprises application entities and communication services that allow ground, air-to-ground, and avionics data subnetworks to interoperate. This is achieved by using common interfaces, services, and protocols based on international standards. ATN has been specified to provide data communication services to air traffic service (ATS) providers and aircraft operating agencies, for air traffic services communication (ATSC), aeronautical operational control (AOC), aeronautical administrative communication (AAC) and aeronautical passenger communication (APC) types of communications traffic. The ATN model utilizes the TP4/CLNP stack as designed under the ISO environment. The predominant set of interoperability issues for aviation users has been created by the implementation of the ICAO ATN standards (a vertical set of standards useful only in the aviation community, and thus, creating in essence a closed network despite the use of open system ideas). Meanwhile, the rest of the world's industries, including those of the aviation's trading partners, have adopted IETF set of standards as the method to support data transport for all means of commerce, entertainment, etc. Numerous studies and research papers have provided a comparison of the ATN and the TCP/IP architectures. A result of this is the probable conclusion that operational benefits may be realizable to the aviation community it chooses to use Internet engineering task force (IETF) standards as the basis for a future communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure. Some future services may also be useful to the community. These services a