All together now ? by Ian Thompson Australia ’ s joint civil and defence ATM project

This is a substantial and complex project that will need to accommodate sometimes disparate civil and defence operational requirements, provide a base system that can readily incorporate new software functions to meet Australia's future air traffic demands, and achieve operational and financial efficiencies for both organisations. Over the last five or so years, Airservices Australia and the RAAF have sought to form a collaborative working agreement. It was considered that a harmonised civil and defence air traffic system could provide organisational and operational benefits to both organisations. Potential benefits included training and sharing of air traffic control staff, and undertaking some RAAF radar functions from Airservices Australia facilities, following the example where approach radar services for RAAF Base Pearce are now provided from the Perth terminal control unit (TCU). Initial attempts at collaboration had limited success due to the inability of both organisations to form a relationship of equality as well as overcoming differences in customer focus, operational purpose and priorities, operational systems and financial terms. However, government has persisted in its belief that considerable benefits would be possible if both organisations worked together. Aviation and Defence policy papers released in 2009 both identified the imperatives and benefits that would occur through collaboration between Airservices Australia and the RAAF. In particular, both organisations have air traffic management systems that reach the end of their planned operational life during the 2015-2017 period. Government directives and recognition that this is a generational opportunity for ATM system alignment have provided the impetus for both organisations to resurrect attempts at a collabora-tive working arrangement. Airservices Australia and the RAAF have formed a joint steering group, AC-MAC (for Australian Civil-Military Air Traffic Committee), to lead harmonisation initiatives. Airservices' Phil Baxter, general manager, ATC Future Systems, and Air Commodore Neil Hart, director general capability planning – Air Force, jointly co-chair this group. Initiatives have included developing common regulations, licensing, standards and air traffic controller training. But as Baxter states, " these initiatives won't stick unless we have common technology ". Airservices Australia's ATM system (TAAATS) has been operational since 1998. It comprises two air traffic control centres, located at Brisbane and Melbourne, each responsible for approximately half of the airspace over continental Australia. These air traffic control centres are built on independent processing systems, providing terminal control radar and tower services at all major cities – Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Cairns. In essence, …