ACSS surveillance systems used by Boeing to equip B777 ecoDemonstrator aircraft

ACSS, an L3 and Thales company, announced today the selection by Boeing of its surveillance systems for the ecoDemonstrator aircraft, a FedEx Express-operated 777 Freighter being flight tested in 2018 with 100 percent biofuel.

"ACSS is supporting the Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator evaluation, providing two new state-of-the-art functions. Utilizing ACSS's surveillance systems, the first function is Boeing's turbulence prediction algorithm to evaluate its capability to provide flight deck wake turbulence advisories," said Terry Flaishans, President of ACSS. "The second surveillance function includes testing that aligns with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) development of the Next-Generation (NextGen) Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), as part of the development of the Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS X) standards."

ACSS's surveillance technologies on the ecoDemonstrator are designed to enhance the safety of flight as well as provide navigation aids, more efficient route management, and fuel optimization. ACAS X is designed as an enhancement to the current TCAS II system to improve safety, reduce nuisance alerts and support commercial jetliners, helicopters, General Aviation (GA) aircraft, and new platforms in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program, which began in 2012, uses flight testing to accelerate technologies that can reduce emissions and noise, improve airlines' gate-to-gate efficiency, and meet other technology innovation goals.