Surveillance RF Environment Monitoring - 1030/1090 MHz

The increasing demands being placed on the spectrum require careful management to ensure that this valuable resource remains sustainable and capable of supporting ATM evolution in the coming years.

EUROCONTROL has a unique position in the ATM environment: we interface with all our stakeholders to ensure that the 1030/1090 MHz spectrum is ‘future-proofed’. We also do this through our involvement with international standardisation bodies, international organisations and system manufacturers.

The 1030/1090MHz Monitoring Project deploys a range of tools in carrying out its mandate. These tools include ground-monitoring systems, an airborne monitoring system, an in-depth off-line analysis tool and an RF model to simulate the impact of possible future changes.

The 1030 MHz and 1090 MHz frequency pair is a critical resource, one that is vital to the European ATM Network and, especially, to surveillance and collision avoidance (ACAS) systems.

The use of these frequencies is core for SSR Mode A/C radars, Mode S radars, Wide Area and Local Multilateration, ADS-B, ACAS and military systems. Any problem with these RF frequencies has an immediate and direct impact on the Network’s capacity – and has the potential to threaten safe and efficient operations.

It is, therefore, crucial to monitor and manage the 1030/1090 MHz RF network properly in order to maintain its efficiency.

Article 6 of EU1207/2011, the Surveillance Performance and Interoperability Implementing Regulation published by the European Commission, establishes requirements on the correct use the 1030/1090 MHz RF bands.The reciprocal monitoring activities performed by EUROCONTROL Network Manager to verify adherence to these requirements are outlined in Article 7 of EU2019/123.

The actual usage of the 1030/1090 MHz RF has been baselined and departures from the baseline are tracked with changes proposed to ensure that the RF environment remains usable for all – not only today but also over decades to come.

The stakeholder group for this activity is the Network Surveillance User Group (NSUR), which reports to the Surveillance Steering Group (SUR-SG).