Rockwell Collins introduces ARINC MultiLink comprehensive flight tracking

ANNAPOLIS, Md., 10 March 2015. Rockwell Collins officials are unveiling the ARINC MultiLink flight tracking service as a comprehensive, cost-effective global flight tracking solution for airlines.

ARINC MultiLink combines multiple data sources – such as ADS-C, high-frequency data link (HFDL) performance data, ADS-B, U.S. Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (ASDI) radar data, EUROCONTROL position information, and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) position reports – to pinpoint the location of an aircraft anywhere in the world. ARINC MultiLink can also incorporate future third-party data sources, which may include position data.

Rockwell Collins uses a proprietary algorithm to merge the data sources for accurate and high-fidelity position reporting. Additionally, the use of multiple sources means an aircraft’s position can be reported more frequently. The service can also notify airlines when an aircraft unexpectedly has stopped reporting positional data or when the aircraft has deviated from its expected path.

“In today’s global aviation environment, no single source of data is sufficient to track aircraft globally,” says Jeff Standerski, senior vice president, Information Management Services for Rockwell Collins. “By merging multiple data sources, many of which airlines already receive, we can automatically select the right combination of data feeds to allow airlines to pinpoint an aircraft’s location anywhere in the world, in the most economical way.”

ARINC MultiLink can incorporate HFDL network performance data, thanks to Rockwell Collins’ global air/ground data link network. Aircraft equipped with HFDL automatically deliver network performance data directly to Rockwell Collins. This data can be used in conjunction with other data sources to provide accurate, cost-effective aircraft tracking everywhere around the globe, officials say.

“Using the unique propagation characteristics of HFDL enables ARINC MultiLink to communicate with properly equipped aircraft operating in remote regions and over the oceans,” explains Tim Ryan, director, GLOBALink programs & services management. “Our ability to merge HFDL network performance data with multiple data sources results in a more robust and truly global aircraft tracking capability.”

ARINC MultiLink can be customized to meet an airline’s needs while aligning with industry recommendations. Rockwell Collins will work with carriers to help selectively augment the fidelity and reliability of their standard data feed as needed to generate additional data for a selected aircraft or geographic region.

ARINC MultiLink will be offered as an add-on to Rockwell Collins’ ARINC OpCenter/WebASDSM and Hermes/Skyview products, which are currently used by 125 airlines around the world, or as a data feed that can be streamed to a carrier’s own situational display solution.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINC MultiLink flight tracking solution will be available this spring.

Rockwell Collins’ solutions have been used to collect, harmonize, and deliver aircraft tracking information for the world’s airlines for more than 20 years. The company’s first situational display capability was launched in 1995 and its Automatic Dependent Surveillance air traffic control gateway was first deployed in the late 1990s.

Rockwell Collins develops and deploys communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. A global workforce delivers flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management services to more than 150 countries.