SWIM segment 2 deployment and utilization in NextGen R&D programs

Abstract

Information sharing in the digital age is essential to providing a means to communicate faster and more efficiently. In aviation and air traffic management, communication is critical to daily operational coordination. At any given time there are multiple lines of communication that exist between pilots, air traffic controllers, airline operators, and other National Airspace System (NAS) users. In response to the growing need for better information sharing capabilities, the FAA has invested in a capability called System Wide Information Management (SWIM), a part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The primary focus of SWIM is to provide the right information to people when they need it. The SWIM program has been developing and implementing an information sharing infrastructure to provide data services to both internal FAA and external stakeholders. The current SWIM schedule calls for a phased deployment known as segments that build upon previously introduced capabilities and technologies. The FAA is currently in the planning and prototyping phase of segment two. While SWIM is developing and deploying new infrastructure and capabilities, research and development programs are looking at future applications of SWIM and new capabilities that can potentially assist users with getting access to better data in a more reliable manner. One example of this research and development is the Network Enabled Operations (NEO) program, which demonstrated potential future uses of SWIM in assisting in airspace coordination and traffic flow utilizing the planned segment two infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to outline in high-level summary the deployment strategy and status of SWIM segment two and to highlight the research and development work accomplished by NEO over the past year.