ARINC 858P2-1 PDF

Since the end-state goal for ICAO and the aviation industry is an aviation network communication infrastructure based on IPS, the transition strategy for achieving that end state is critical to the success of IPS adoption. For ACARS users, which include oceanic and remote airspace as well as an increasing number of domestic enroute programs, the challenge is transitioning from ACARS network protocols to IPS. For domestic Europe, which uses OSI protocols, the challenge is transitioning from OSI to IPS.

“Big bang” approaches do not tend to work in aviation given the large numbers of aircraft equipped with legacy systems, the number of ground systems that need to change in short order, and the international operation of many aircraft. Changing aircraft equipment is expensive and time consuming. And ideally, the ANSPs should not be required to continually upgrade ground systems or implement duplicate networks to deal with different aircraft configurations.

For network protocol compatibility, the desired outcome is the ability of the protocol to meet the performance and delivery requirements for the provided services. Since the network protocol should largely be invisible to the end user, as long as application compatibility is maintained, the main concern then becomes how to make different network technologies interoperate with minimal impact to systems on the aircraft and on the ground. Since the introduction of IPS-enabled avionics and ground systems is expected to happen over an extended time period, the IPS-based systems will need to be interoperable with existing ACARS and ATN/OSI aircraft and ground systems. Accommodation of IPS during the transition period will be accomplished via ground-based IPS Gateways, and the gateway architecture and functional requirements are described in this document.

The intent of this document, in coordination with other related industry standards, is to provide implementers of the IPS Gateway with the level of detail necessary to interoperate securely with Airborne IPS Systems and with other ground systems.

Purpose

Airlines, aircraft operators, and other airspace users rely on safe, secure, and reliable data communication services to meet their day-to-day operational needs. Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and data communication service providers must deliver these services globally and meet internationally recognized standards for communications performance.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and the European Union (EU) and United States (US) Air/Ground Data Communications Strategy identify a globally harmonized target aviation communications environment that includes a communication infrastructure based on selected commercial Internet Protocol (IP) standards. ICAO refers to this aviation communication network as the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network using the Internet Protocol Suite (ATN/IPS¹). The ATN/IPS network will be implemented in aircraft and in ground infrastructure to support safety-related services, including Air Traffic Services (ATS) and Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC). The ATN/IPS network infrastructure is considered the successor to the Airline Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) and to the ICAO-defined network infrastructure based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, referred to as ATN/OSI.

The AEEC coordinated the development of this IPS Gateway Air-Ground Interoperability standard with ICAO, EUROCAE, and RTCA to identify interdependencies and ensure consistency among the ATN/IPS-related industry standards developed by these organizations.

¹ In this document the term “ATN” is used to refer generically to the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network and could be either ATN/IPS or ATN/OSI. Furthermore, if only “IPS” is used, this is considered equivalent to referring to “ATN/IPS”.