Projects

The NUP Phase II project is based on the TEN-T research project called North European ADS-B Network or NEAN, conducted between 1995 and 1998; the NEAN Update Programme was launched in 1999. Whilst NEAN was looking at understanding the potential benefits and assessing the supporting technologies and operational procedures of ADS-B, the NUP Project was targeting an operational introduction. For practical reasons the NUP project was divided in two phases, I and II. The first phase mainly devoted to defining the basis for an operational system and developing specifications and equipment as well as preparing the necessary certification and regulatory frameworks in Europe.
The second phase continued the operational and technical developments as well as validated the applications in the context of European ATM development. This was done both by practical trials, simulations and analysis. Main deliverables from the NUP II project were definition and validation of a number of ADS-B based applications. The project conducted its work in close cooperation with EUROCONTROL ADS Programme and other relevant bodies.

NUP was designed as a "bottom up" approach project using the input from local teams, called "Tiger Teams" to define a range of applications for ADS-B and VDL Mode 4. In NUP II the role of the teams expanded to include also the preparation for introduction (e.g. simulations, training, information, regulations). The existing teams continued their work and were complemented by others in accordance with the identification of new applications.

To limit the number of applications for certification as well as trying to broaden the input outside a single airport or scenario the teams have been grouped in clusters. Each cluster represents one area in which ADS-B can be utilised. The aim was to have unified descriptions of each cluster by the end of the project. The object of each clusters are:

• Cluster A: non radar environment (e.g. due to terrain or costs limitations),
• Cluster B: off shore operations (e.g. helicopter operations in the North Sea),
• Cluster C: surface movement operations (continuation of the Surface Enhanced Visual Acquisitions and A-SMGCS application being looked at in phase I),
• Cluster D: Air to Air applications (e.g. station keeping, enhanced visual acquisition),
• Cluster E: ATC integration (e.g. airborne derived data).

It can be noted that since 2002, the CoSpace project has been handling the Brétigny Tiger Team on ASAS sequencing in extended TMA.

Deep Blue role

In the context of this project, Deep Blue carried out for EUROCONTROL a validation support for the coordination of validation activities closure within the NUP II Tiger Teams and consisted mainly in reviewing the work performed and updating the guidelines provided all along the NUP II programme. The following general tasks were performed:

• Analyse operational procedures, experimental environment and design of NUP II TT experiments against requirements to check that scientific objectives have been met.
• Review validation reports produced by each TT and make recommendations for overall conclusions and future experiments.
• Assist in summarising the results obtained by each TT.
• Managing the last Validation Workshop to collect and harmonise the validation results.

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