Rohde & Schwarz equips Czech air traffic control with VCS simulation systems

The Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic (ANS CR) modernizes its voice communications system (VCS) for simulation and training and has chosen Rohde & Schwarz to supply the new turnkey solution. The core of the project is the R&S VCS-4G technology, with a total number of almost 200 controller working positions for the ATC simulators at locations in Prague, Brno, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary.

ANS CR will replace its existing VCS simulator and training systems with new state-of-the-art systems from Rohde & Schwarz. The phased implementation will start in July 2019, with the last phase to be completed in 2025. This involves modifying the existing R&S VCS-4G with user interface layouts of other VCS systems in order to serve the specific ANS application of simulating different air traffic control (ATC) environments during training.

Jan Klas, Director General of ANS CR, emphasizes: “We trust in Rohde & Schwarz as a proven partner for IP-based VCS. After the successful delivery of R&S VCS-4G to three regional airports in the Czech Republic, we are sure that the training and simulation systems will also be delivered with high quality and on time.”

Part of ANS CR’s business is providing ATC training courses to ANSPs all over the world. The training is in compliance with ICAO and EUROCONTROL standards as well as with individual national regulations. The new systems will serve both internal ANS needs, which means simulation of its own operational voice communications systems, as well as customer needs when offering ATC training courses for third-party customers.

In order to ensure flight safety, every controller needs to receive basic and continuous training on the voice communications system. ANSPs often install independent VCS simulator and training systems so that the ongoing controller activities at the operational VCS are not disturbed. These VCS simulator and training systems should have the exact same user interface and operational behavior. To meet these challenges, the R&S VCS-4G provides a highly scalable IP-based communications infrastructure. Due to its distributed architecture, the system can be easily be expanded and integrates seamlessly into any existing infrastructure.