FAA NEXCOM V3 Radio RFI

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a planned future requirement for NEXt generation air/ground (A/G) COMmunications (NEXCOM) System Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) radios.  

The FAA requires A/G voice communications links to provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) services to all classes of National Airspace System (NAS) users. These links support all phases of flight including en route, terminal approach control, flight service and terminal space-based ground movements; departures and arrivals. The UHF/VHF radios are used to ensure aircraft separation, transmit instructions and clearances, permit hand-offs, provide weather services and pilot reports (PIREPs), and communicate with Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSSs). Civilian aircraft, including air carrier and general aviation, are served in the VHF band while Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft are served in the UHF band.

The NEXCOM Radio Program will replace current UHF/VHF ground-based analog radios at Remote Center Air/Ground (RCAG) and Backup Emergency Communications (BUEC) facilities supporting en route communications.

NEXCOM Version 3 (V3) radios will operate using the current 25 kHz channel-spacing assignment in their respective radio frequency (RF) bands. Each radio band will support signal-in-space communications using a double sideband-amplitude modulation (DSB-AM) waveform. The VHF radios will also have frequency tuning capabilities to operate on 8.33 kHz channel-spacing assignments in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defined standards.

NEXCOM V3 radios will be physically compatible with today’s existing NAS equipment, be equipped with a legacy analog audio interface(s) as well as an ED-137C compliant Internet Protocol (IP)-based audio interface(s) supporting future NAS gateway subsystems and components.