Categoria: Europe

NATINAMDS (NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System) is a complex defence network encompassing all countries being part the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It aims to ensure security and stability of the whole alliance airspace by controlling the air domain and coordinating related activities.

The system includes all measures aimed at defending the territories of the countries adhering to the treaty against any air and missile threat and also at nullifying or at least reducing the effectiveness of any hostile air action, through the cooperation of sensors, command and control facilities and weapons systems. In this respect, it acts as a powerful deterrent against any aggression.

Italy is part of NATO and therefore plays its role in NATINAMDS too. The Italian Air Force (AM – Aeronautica Militare) contributes to this defence system by means of their military bases in the peninsula to detect, track, classify, identify and monitor airborne objects, and – if necessary – to intercept them using surface-based or airborne weapons systems.

Within this defence system, highly classified information is exchanged between military air traffic controllers. SITTI participates in the effort of keeping all the components in place as efficient and up-to-date as possible. Among the most recent major activities SITTI has been involved into, the following are especially worth being mentioned:

• strengthening of the UHF air/ground communications
• supply of classified so-called “RED” communication components

The supply is subdivided into a number of lots, some of which already passed the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) phase and are going to be installed at the very beginning of next year.

The voice communication systems maintenance contract between SITTI and EUROCONTROL’s Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) has been renewed for another 4 years. As demonstrated in the past years, SITTI is committed to provide EUROCONTROL with the best service possible, putting at disposal the best competent workforce.

Back in 2006, SITTI has provided MUAC with a Voice Communication System (VCS) that is currently used as a backup system. This system provides telephone and intercom links, and it connects local radios and remote ones, located at Eelde (in the Netherlands) and Bremen (Germany). Because of the large and important area it covers, MUAC implemented a strict maintenance program to ensure that the systems being used are always efficient and effective.

SITTI has therefore been involved in this maintenance program since the very beginning, with the following features:

• Help desk service, through which the customer can have direct access to SITTI development departments and receive hints and suggestions for the better use of the installed systems.
• 24/7 support service for addressing possibly blocking malfunctions, so as to get immediate indications on what to do to solve the problem and possibly request on site intervention.
• Module repair service for the prompt substitution and repair of faulty boards, with blocked prices and predetermined delivery times.
• Software update service, which includes the update of the software installed on the system components.
• Spare parts replacement and supply service, to ensure the customer always has the right and compatible elements for their possible substitution, without system degradation.

MUAC is the facility from which EUROCONTROL is providing air traffic control services to all flights entering the upper airspace (from 24500 to 66000 feet) over Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and north-west Germany. This is one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airspace areas.

The Schiphol airport in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) is one of the busiest airports in the world, with over 50 million passengers transiting this airport in their tourism and business travels. The 6 airport runways allow a large number of flights to arrive and depart from/to all continents. Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) is the ANSP (Air Navigation Service Provider) at Schiphol.

Safety is here a must: air traffic control shall be guaranteed in all circumstances, to allow a continuous orderly flow of aircrafts over this congested area. To ensure this in all circumstances, the voice management infrastructure of LVNL needs to be equipped with an emergency system to be used when the main and standby VCSs (voice communication systems) are for any reason not available.

The MULTIFONO^® M800IP^® Voice Switching System delivered by SITTI to LVNL is now extended to the remote sites of Eelde and Beek. For the implementation of a Centralised Base LVNL WAN connections are used to reach local radios from Schiphol. Since these latter are analogue receivers and transmitters, proper VoIP gateways by SITTI (named GVS) are installed at those sites to allow conversion of analogue signals to the standard ATC/ATM protocol, in conformance to EUROCAE ED-137.

The emergency system installed at Schiphol is called LRRTS (Last Resort Radio Telephone System): it allows operators to access local and remote radio and telephone resources in emergency conditions to assure the proper landing and departing of aircrafts, thus not creating a blocking situation that may result being very dangerous. The extension allows up to 10 controllers to access to local and remote radio and telephone links through dedicated panels.

Site acceptance test of this system is expected to take place in next July.

With the objective of enhancing the services provided, ANS-CZ (Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic) have awarded SITTI the supply of two brand new VOIP server-based VCSs (Voice Communication Systems) to be installed at Prague Airport and Jeneč.

The M800IP-S systems based on COTS servers architecture being supplied to ANS-CZ are fully compliant to the most recent specifications set by the world famous EUROCAE ED-137 standard, which defines the way Voice Over IP (VOIP) shall be used for Air Traffic Control purposes.

The two systems that are going to be supplied to the Czech Republic have the capability of supporting 80 controller working positions (CWPs) that may be freely switched from one system to the other to cope with changing environmental and operational needs, without losing performance. The communication capability of the supplied systems is currently of 540 VoIP ED-137 radio channels and 100 VoIP telephone ED-137 links, although these figures can be expanded at any moment in the future with no detriment to the overall functionality and performance. Legal recording is also part of the supply.

 “We are very pleased of the award of these systems.” – Pietro Lucioli, SITTI dedicated program manager, said – “The introduction of these latest-generation VCSs will allow ANS-CZ fully exploiting the most recent technological achievements provided by M800IP-S for an extremely efficient and cost-effective management of the skies they are responsible for”.

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In order to properly phase the introduction of the new VOIP technology at their premises, ENAV issued a tender for the definition of a Frame Contract that would allow them to gradually acquire the systems, according to their needs and internal schedule. The Frame Contract is aimed at addressing all airports operating in Italy, both in their Main and Emergency configuration.

Each airport site has its own characteristics and specific needs that have been taken into consideration while discussing the contract, so that ENAV can ask SITTI to provide the solution elements that best suit the local requirements e.g. in terms of communication interfaces and controller working positions.

This gives ENAV the freedom to span their modernization process over a longer period of time, without losing the possibility of implementing the upgrade steps according to their internal programs and schedules. Whenever ENAV decides to start with the upgrade of a specific national or international airport in Italy, a specific executive proposal is being submitted by SITTI for ultimate ENAV approval.

Such technical proposal takes into consideration on one side the current radio and telephone connections at the designated site and on the other side the best solution elements (in terms of hardware and software modules) to fully support those interfaces and to provide additional standard VOIP features in full compliance with the latest national and international standards and recommendations.

For the time being, ENAV has already ordered SITTI the provision of the main systems for the following airports:

• Milano Malpensa International Airport
• Milano Linate International Airport
• Rome Fiumicino International Airport
• Bologna “Guglielmo Marconi”
• Genova “Cristoforo Colombo”
• Brescia “Gabriele D’Annunzio”
• Rimini “Federico Fellini”
• Treviso “Antonio Canova”

Two other VCS Systems for mobile towers have been commissioned and will be operational by mid 2021. A large number of radio and telephone connections have been migrated to the new M800IP® systems, thus significantly improving the overall signal quality and capability of managing devices of different kinds (analogue, digital, VOIP).

 

In order to properly phase the introduction of the new VOIP technology at their premises, ENAV issued a tender for the definition of a Frame Contract that would allow them to gradually acquire the systems, according to their needs and internal schedule. The Frame Contract is aimed at addressing all airports operating in Italy, both in their Main and Emergency configuration.

Each airport site has its own characteristics and specific needs that have been taken into consideration while discussing the contract, so that ENAV can ask SITTI to provide the solution elements that best suit the local requirements e.g. in terms of communication interfaces and controller working positions.

This gives ENAV the freedom to span their modernization process over a longer period of time, without losing the possibility of implementing the upgrade steps according to their internal programs and schedules. Whenever ENAV decides to start with the upgrade of a specific national or international airport in Italy, a specific executive proposal is being submitted by SITTI for ultimate ENAV approval.

Such technical proposal takes into consideration on one side the current radio and telephone connections at the designated site and on the other side the best solution elements (in terms of hardware and software modules) to fully support those interfaces and to provide additional standard VOIP features in full compliance with the latest national and international standards and recommendations.

For the time being, ENAV has already ordered SITTI the provision of the main systems for the following airports:

• Milano Malpensa International Airport
• Milano Linate International Airport
• Rome Fiumicino International Airport
• Bologna “Guglielmo Marconi”
• Genova “Cristoforo Colombo”
• Brescia “Gabriele D’Annunzio”
• Rimini “Federico Fellini”
• Treviso “Antonio Canova”

Two other VCS Systems for mobile towers have been commissioned and will be operational by mid 2021. A large number of radio and telephone connections have been migrated to the new M800IP® systems, thus significantly improving the overall signal quality and capability of managing devices of different kinds (analogue, digital, VOIP).

ENAV, the Italian Air Navigation Service Provider, is aiming at moving the approach (APP) function from the towers to the ACCs managing the relevant areas. This will make coordination between ACC and APP easier and more straightforward, and it will be releasing resources at the airport towers, that have been responsible for this service till now.

The move of the APP function to the ACC premises requires coordination with the towers involved, in such a way that communications with towers are guaranteed even in case of failure of the Voice Communication System of the ACC.

A new “intercom” network has been put in place, completely independent of the VCS, to ensure that ACC and towers can always communicate, whichever the status of the ordinary communication network between them. The new intercom connections put ACC and towers in direct connection, as if they were “hot lines”, not requiring an explicit acknowledgement when a call is received by the tower.

The intercom system is configurable by means of the supervision system already envisaged for the VCS, thus not requiring any further special configuration computer and also utilizing the same database to avoid any kind of mistake for error-free activities. Re-sectorizations made at VCS level automatically reflect at intercom level, without any need for manual intervention. The audio exchanged between operators over the intercom system is recorded, as it happens for any other communication for possible later analysis and replay.

Each ACC is equipped with a specially developed keyboard, capable of connecting up to 8 towers. Vice versa each connected tower is equipped with a receiving/transmitting device to manage intercom conversations to the relevant ACC. Loudspeakers make incoming audio audible at any time.

SITTI is a founding member of AIR TECH ITALY, the association of Italian companies providing products and services to airports worldwide (www.airtechitaly.com) with the aim of promoting the excellence and proactivity of Made in Italy solutions. Air Tech Italy and the Italian Trade & Investment Agency of the Foreign Offices Ministery organized the partecipation of a large number of associates to the INTER AIRPORT EUROPE exhibition, which will take place in Munich from 8 to 12 November 2021.

SITTI will be present at this important event, where it will be presenting the latest technical achievements in the field of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and operations rooms. SITTI can provide integrated comprehensive solutions for the complete management of voice and data related to the control of air flows, by putting together radio, telephone and intercom communications, allowing any kind of links and lines to be converted to/from IP according to the EUROCAE standards, especially ED-137.

In this respect, SITTI represents a one-stop solution provider permitting Customers to respond to all their needs, ranging from voice switching to recording, from analogue to digital and VoIP, from small airfield towers to large national control centers.

SITTI will be present at the PMI DAY organized by the Polytechnic University of Milan, where the company will meet graduated students interested in joining the company for covering the roles of:

– PROGRAM MANAGER (2 vacancies)

– PROPOSAL MANAGER (2 vacancies)

PMI is the Italian acronym for SME (Small and Medium Enterprise).

Read more here: https://www.careerservice.polimi.it/it-IT/Meetings/Home/Index/?eventId=25369

SITTI will be participating in the 2021 edition of the World ATM Congress (WATC) exhibition in Madrid. The show is going to take place from 26th to 28th October.

SITTI has been present at this important event since its very first edition in Madrid. This is in fact the right place where Air Traffic Control stakeholders meet. It is a very important event, where SITTI has the opportunity to show its latest achievements in this field, by attracting interest from many customers, both new to us and those who have been knowing us since long.

The recent acquisition of important contracts all over the world confirms the leadership of SITTI in the ATC market, being a primary reference point worldwide, thanks to its large experience and expertise in the proposal of integrated solutions for the ATC market. These include analogue, digital and VOIP communications, both radio and telephone, tower and ACC consoles, integrated information controller panels.

Come and visit us at booth 562.