Frequentis Defense has successfully completed trials of its fixed and deployable digital tower for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). The team for Frequentis Defense Inc. (FDI), the US Air Force Flight Standards Agency, and the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic worked together to successfully complete the three trials of the Frequentis Digital Tower at three Air Force and Naval Air Bases to prove the operational feasibility and benefits of the system for military personnel.
“We think the future is bright for the remote digital tower. We continue to do assessments of this technology; we continue to be impressed with it. We do believe it has benefits, particularly where we don’t have to put the controllers in the tower, keeping them out of harm’s way,” noted Ed Wright, Executive Director, Headquarters US Air Force Flight Standards Agency, US DoD.
The deployable digital tower is set up in a military container environment, with a nominal amount of controller working positions. It can be remotely deployed in short time frames and with minimal disruption to operations. It has been designed to enhance crew safety, situational awareness, training, and other mission requirements to support air traffic control.
The control room can be in a centralized location allowing staff working on different scenarios to be co-located. Being a digital solution enhances the systems abilities, integrating data from sensors, cameras, and radar to create a 360 degree, panoramic, out of the window view that includes standard and thermal imaging in all weather conditions. With cameras, air traffic controllers can replace outdated binoculars, increasing their ability to view the airspace and airfield, which greatly enhances situational awareness. The digital information provided to the controller is also recorded for reference and training.
“Our partnership with the US DoD and the success of our trials in real-time operations ensures that Frequentis continues to pave the way in Defense with our deployable digital tower solution,” states Jay Balakirsky, President Frequentis Defense. “We are incredibly proud of our team for completing this first-of-a-kind program. Digital Tower technology is changing the way that air traffic is controlled and will improve the safety, efficiency, and capability of air operations.”
The team for Frequentis Defense Inc. (FDI), the US Air Force Flight Standards Agency, and the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic worked together to successfully complete the three trials of the Frequentis Digital Tower. Operational assessments were initially carried out in a fixed tower configuration at an Air Force Base, followed by an expeditionary deployment at a second Air Force Base. A third trial was conducted at a Naval Air Station, where the digital tower was used to control an airfield at a remote location.
