Civil-Military Interoperability in Performance-Based Navigation Implementation

In Europe, PBN implementation is covered by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1048 of 18 July 2018. As State aircraft operating as General Air Traffic (GAT) might not be fully compliant with the mandated PBN requirements, there is a need to ensure accommodation of those State aircraft that need to perform the sovereignty roles, which includes national security and defence missions that require unrestricted access to, and freedom within, the airspace.

Whilst the implementation of the European PBN regulation provides transition measures that will accommodate non-PBN aircraft up to 6 June 2030, post June 2030, while some conventional navigation infrastructure will be retained to support contingency procedures, conventional navigation will be withdrawn.  Therefore, civil-military coordination is crucial when the required national PBN transition plans are evolved.

The EUROCONTROL Handbook for Civil-Military Interoperability in Performance-Based Navigation Implementation offers a non-binding civil-military technical guidance document to support Air Traffic Management (ATM) planners and infrastructure managers when planning and implementing PBN within each nation’s sovereign airspace. Such guidance is considered necessary to ensure the continuation of State aircraft operations performed in an efficient and unconstrained way. The document comprises of detailed information on technical requirements applicable to avionics and proposes measures for compliance that minimise cost and procurement impact.

The EUROCONTROL Handbook for Civil-Military Interoperability in Performance-Based Navigation Implementation targets military and civil technical and operational staff involved in the planning and implementation of PBN, mainly at State level, as well as technical staff involved in aircraft compliance and modernisation programmes.  The Handbook can be downloaded here.