European Sky Multilink ATN (ESMA)

ESMA Project

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The European Sky Multilink ATN (ESMA) project is a Digital Sky Demonstrator under Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2022, co-financed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) with the support of SESAR 3 JU. The aim of the projects inside this call is to modernize European transport infrastructure, supporting the European Commission’s vision of a future sustainable transport system, with smart and resilient solutions implemented to interconnect Europe.



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Summary of the Project

ESMA project addresses the need to increase the level of automation in Air Traffic Management (ATM). This project will focus on demonstrating both a dual link and a multilink service ensuring the seamless link transition between Satcom (Iris) and VDLm2 technologies, and the next steps for a transition to a truly global service by adapting the infrastructure to accommodate both ATN/OSI and ATN/IPS protocols. These activities are divided into two separated demonstrations.

The first demonstration will be focused on the operation of a dual-link communication service, aimed at the seamless link transition between Satcom (Iris) and VDLm2. This demonstration will be based on extensive data collection in a real operational environment with a large number of involved aircrafts, properly connected to both links, operating over Europe.

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The second one will perform a multilink demonstration involving the transition between ATN/OSI and ATN/IPS protocols. This demonstration will show the compatibility of IPS-equipped aircraft with OSI-based ground systems together with the goal of developing further the FCI (Future Communication Infrastructure) Ground Backbone running in a near-operational environment to measure its performance.

The future multilink communications infrastructure is key in creating higher levels of automation for ATM given the higher bandwidth and security requirements of the services. Infrastructure will play a key role in supporting the capacity constraints foreseen by the current VDL Mode 2 infrastructure. 

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Partners

ESMA brings together a wide range of partners from across the aviation and technology sectors, including:

  • Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs)
  • Communication Service Providers
  • Airlines
  • Aircraft manufacturers

The image shows the structure of the project and the different roles of the partners inside the project.

 

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Financed By

The ESMA project is co-financed by the European Union through CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program. The project aligns with the EU's goals for a greener, more efficient, and resilient aviation sector.

Budget

The total budget for the ESMA – Digital Sky Demonstrator project is estimated at € 23 420 984.09 with a significant portion being financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility program of CINEA.

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Structure of the Project

The ESMA project is organized into the following key work packages:

1. WP1 - Project Management.

2. WP2 - Dual Link ATN/OSI & Multilink ATN/IPS demonstration preparation.

  1. Demonstration requirement specifications and Demonstration Plan.
  2. Service provision preparation, ATN ground backbone integration and aircraft equipage and management.

3. WP3 - Dual Link ATN/OSI & Multilink ATN/IPS demonstrations.

  1. Demonstration management.
  2. Data collection and demonstration report.

4. WP4 - Standards and Regulation.

5. WP5 - Communication & Dissemination.

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Next Steps

The ESMA project is currently moving toward its next phase, which includes:

- Delivery of Demonstration Plan and Demonstration requirement specifications: the consortium is working on the first version of these documents, gathering all the relevant information and ensuring the demonstration can count on a solid documental basis.

- Service provision preparation: different partners of the project are ensuring their systems are ready for providing the expected services before the demonstration

- Aircraft equipage and management: ESMA airlines are coordinating with Airbus in order to ensure the equipment of the agreed number of aircrafts and its participation in the project demonstration

- ATN ground backbone integration: ensuring the readiness of the ground infrastructure and necessary modifications

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Useful Links

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