Rohde & Schwarz delivers CERTIUM VCS for safe and efficient ATC communication across Canada

NAV CANADA and Rohde & Schwarz sign contract for “Backup Voice Communication Solution,” providing robust systems for all major airports and centres operated by the Canadian ANSP.

Rohde & Schwarz and NAV CANADA are proud to announce the signing of a contract for the supply and implementation of a “Backup Voice Communication Solution” for the entire Canadian airspace. This contract marks a significant milestone in ensuring the safety and efficiency of air traffic control (ATC) operations in the region.

Under the agreement, Rohde & Schwarz will deliver a comprehensive, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution, based on the proven CERTIUM VCS platform, which is compliant to the latest ED-137 standard. Multiple systems, each of them with a quad-redundant architecture and running on NAV CANADA’s virtualised environment, will provide robust coverage for all major airports and centers operated by NAV CANADA. The project, spanning over the next five years, will involve the deployment of more than 600 operational Operator Working Positions (OWP), which will be seamlessly interconnected with over 700 phone services and 800 radio frequencies.

The first phase of the agreement will support the deployment of a state-of-the-art flight data processing system (FDPS) and an air traffic flow management system (iACM) for complex airspaces within NAV CANADA’s network centre.

In line with NAV CANADA’s strategic direction, this partnership represents a tangible step towards Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) in Canada, shifting air traffic management towards a strategic approach that takes a more comprehensive picture of a flight from take-off to landing. This new technology can calculate routes with great accuracy and predict the evolution of air traffic over an extended horizon, supporting greater planning and coordination.