CNS/ATM Conference returns, slated for June 20-23 in Ohio

  • Published
  • By by 1st Lt. Justin Grzyb
  • CNS/ATM Center of Excellence
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  After a five-year hiatus, the Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Center of Excellence here is looking toward the future with its upcoming 2016 CNS/ATM Conference.

This year's event will be held June 20-23 at the Hope Hotel & Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center just outside the gates of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The conference is Department of Defense approved, and registration is free for all attendees. The move to Wright-Patterson AFB makes it more convenient for government personnel and local industry partners to attend, program officials noted.

"This multi-day technical interchange will update the community on the latest CNS/ATM requirements and facilitate interchange between the military branches, civilian aviation authorities and industry," said Burt Wadas, Air Traffic Systems Branch chief.

CNS/ATM is a combination of aircraft communications, navigation and surveillance technologies designed to improve air traffic management and flight safety while more efficiently using civil airspace.

The main goals are to aid Air Force aircraft platforms in increasing system capacities and meeting on-board avionics standards that are driven by authorities such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation authorities. Without meeting these civil standards, Air Force aircraft may not be able to operate in certain airspaces where new airspace architectures and air traffic management procedures are implemented.

The conference's "Flight to the Future" theme emphasizes the long-standing objective to promote an understanding of civil CNS/ATM requirements, share expertise and improve DoD processes for complying with emerging civil CNS/ATM technologies and mandates.

The four-day forum will focus on worldwide avionics CNS/ATM requirements and issues; however, there will be specific emphasis on combining policies with up-and-coming technologies.

Presentations will be given by experts in the three major avionics areas - communications, navigation and surveillance - and will cover a range of topics to include: worldwide airspace infrastructure, current and projected requirements by geographic location and the benefits of meeting civil mandates as they pertain to military operations.

For more information on the event, email the CNS/ATM Center of Excellence at AFLCMC.HBAG.CNS-ATMPLANNING@us.af.mil.

(Editor's note: Deborah L. Powers, 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs, contributed to this story.)