Harris Corporation and Sunhillo Corporation have teamed up to develop advanced data information-exchange networks for the next generation of global air transport systems.

The two companies are focused on helping to accelerate the implementation of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Next-Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) in the US – as well as similar programmes in the European Union.  NextGen is a wide-ranging transformation of the entire US air transport system to meet future demands and avoid gridlock in the sky and at airports.

The Harris and Sunhillo team is leveraging flexible, service-oriented architecture (SOA) technology to create a secure, network-centric information exchange compliant with System-Wide Information Management (Swim) standards.  Swim, an advanced technology designed to more easily share air traffic management system information, is a central component of NextGen.

The collaborative results were demonstrated during the ATC Global Conference, March 9-11, in Amsterdam.  The demonstration combined the network-centric, SOA-based information sharing platform developed by Harris, a capability referred to as the DEX, with a modular filtering and protocol conversion platform developed by Sunhillo, called RICI.  This integrated solution makes it possible to quickly and securely exchange surveillance sensor data within and beyond the air transport enterprise.  All types of data are exchanged on the network, including information about weather and airport surface data.

“We are excited about combining our surveillance data distribution technology with Harris communications and SOA infrastructure,” said David Whitman, president, Sunhillo.

Seamless transition

“Collectively, our proven capabilities enable a seamless transition to surveillance modernisation information exchange.  To this end, all of the pieces are now in place to support international standardised surveillance capabilities required for next-generation ATC systems.”

The Harris and Sunhillo team is delivering a building-block architecture that will facilitate the deployment of NextGen. Harris brings its expertise in the development and application of SOA networks – such as the all-digital FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure network.  Sunhillo is known for its advanced capabilities in developing communications interfaces for the National Airspace System (NAS).