Posted on: June 13, 2016
In 2014, Rohde & Schwarz was commissioned exclusively by Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic (ANS CR) to implement a fully IP-based voice communications solution for air traffic control. This project has now reached an important milestone with the installation of the R&S VCS-4G voice communications system in the completely new ATC tower at Ostrava airport.
With the official inauguration of the ATC Tower at Ostrava Airport, Rohde & Schwarz reaches a major milestone in its current upgrade project for the Czech air navigation service provider ANS CR. The ATC tower’s opening ceremony took place on June 9, 2016, in the presence of the Czech Minister of Transport, Dan Tok, and Jan Klas, Director General of ANS CR. Christian Leicher, President and COO of Rohde & Schwarz, attended the event as well.
For upgrading its air-ground and ground-ground communications systems at three regional airports, the Czech air navigation service provider opted in 2014 for a future-ready Rohde & Schwarz solution. The project covers the countrywide installation of transmitter/ receiver systems – based on the R&S Series4200 family of VHF/UHF radios – at 18 radio sites. At the same time, three regional airports are being equipped with the fully IP-based R&S VCS-4G voice communications system (VCS): Ostrava, Karlovy Vary and Brno. The installation of Rohde & Schwarz equipment has now been concluded successfully in Ostrava, just a few weeks after Brno.
Jan Klas, Director General of ANS CR, on their partner Rohde & Schwarz: “We’re happy that we selected Rohde & Schwarz for this project. We are getting top, future-viable, state-of-the-art technology in a highly advanced system solution.”
The R&S VCS-4G systems give ANS CR the option to implement virtual center capabilities. The different operational modes offer various benefits. For example, in the event of a disaster, communications resources can be dynamically reassigned to unaffected radio sites to maintain operations. It is also possible to consolidate operations between airports to increase operational flexibility and optimize efficiency.
Another part of the project is the installation of the well-established R&S Series4200 VHF/UHF radios. A total of 20,000 radios have already been manufactured in the Rohde & Schwarz plant in Vimperk in the Czech Republic –the 20,000th radio will remain in the country as one of the project’s installed devices. The R&S Series4200 VHF/UHF radios offer safe, reliable communications and unique features such as the detection of simultaneous transmissions (DSiT) functionality, which can also be economically integrated into the radios at a future date. In the case of multiple, parallel radio transmissions, DSiT allows even the weaker signal to be identified. This event is signaled to the air traffic controller via the VCS, eliminating safety-critical situations in air traffic control.