Page 8 - ATC Special Bulletin Series - Remote and Digital Towers 2023-01

8 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen goes live with Digital Tower from Saab Frequentis to deploy remote digital tower technology in France French Air Navigation Service Provider, DSNA (Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne), has selected Frequentis to supply its state-of-the-art Remote Digital Tower (RDT) solution in France. The solution, to be located in a Remote Tower Centre (RTC) in Toulouse will, in its first instance, manage air traffic for Tours Val De Loire Airport, over 500 kilometers away. Based on the renowned smartVISION product from Frequentis, already operational in six countries, the RDT will allow Tours Val De Loire airport to preserve passenger traffic and ultimately to increase it three-fold. The solution will include on-site video technology at the airport, central equipment in the RTC in Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, with several working positions, and a test system for training. “We are pleased to be working with DSNA on its airport strategy, supporting passenger growth in the region. The potential for more regional airports to be housed in the same centre in future increases the operational efficiency of the solution and the region’s air traffic capacity,” says Hannu Juurakko, Frequentis Vice President ATM Civil and Chairman of the ATM Executive Board. The first digital air traffic control tower is now live and in operation at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany. The base is equipped with a state-of- the-art Saab r-TWR system. Saab’s r-TWR is the first military digital tower solution fully operational in NATO and is certified by the the German Military Aviation Authority (LufABw). NATO’s main operation base for its Boeing E-3A airborne early warning and control system fleet in Geilenkirchen, Germany will be using the Saab r-TWR in all weather conditions. The solution will service a complex military airbase with aircraft types ranging from fighter jets to helicopters. “This is an important milestone for Saab going operational with the digital air traffic solution within the military domain. The digital tower provides a flexible and scalable solution that is proven to be suitable for military airbases as well as civilian airports of all sizes,“ says Per Ahl, CEO of Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions (SDATS) Geilenkirchen digital control tower | SPECIAL BULLETIN SERIES | 2023 | |