WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today the surveillance data links it has chosen for Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), a surveillance technology that enables applications that allow both pilots and controllers to have a common picture of airspace and traffic. ADS-B increases safety, capacity and efficiency and is
considered a cornerstone enabler for “Free Flight.”

The FAA having completed the technical and economic evaluations of the alternative ADS-B technologies, has decided that ADS-B will use a
combination of the 1090 MHz Extended Squitter ADS-B link for air carrier and private/commercial operators of high performance aircraft, and Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B link for the typical general aviation user. 

ADS-B airborne systems transmit an aircraft’s identity, position,
velocity, and intent to other aircraft and to air traffic control systems on the ground, thus allowing for common situational awareness to all appropriately equipped users of the national airspace system. 
This link decision responds to a request from the RTCA Free Flight Steering Committee (an aviation industry advisory committee) to evaluate operational enhancements supported by ADS-B.  The RTCA further recommended that the FAA evaluate the ADS-B technology alternatives.

The FAA’s link selection is compatible with a joint strategy currently being coordinated between EUROCONTROL and the
FAA for implementing ADS-B enabled applications, thus providing for interoperability between the U.S. and
Europe.

This decision also means that the agency will actively work with the aviation community to:ádevelop and implement beneficial ADS-B
applications, thereby stimulating user
equipage,áensure that ADS-B is globally interoperable,ádevelop the necessary standards,ásupport spectrum planning, and áidentify equipage requirements (for
both aircraft and ground systems).

Further details of the ADS-B
architecture decision are available on
the FAA website at: http://www.faa.gov/asd

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