S/sup 2/EV- safety and security enhanced ATC voice system

Today, there is an increasing demand for secure aeronautical communications. Very high frequency (VHF) radio system that is currently used for the air traffic control (ATC) uses "old" analogue DSB-AM transmission technique and is completely open to masquerading (intruders pretend to be "real" air traffic controllers). It also has some safety gaps. This situation could be improved by implementing limited "digital" features within the existing system. This paper describes the safety and security enhanced voice (S²EV) concept that combines two distinct technologies: data in voice (DiV) and aircraft identification tag (AIT). The paper provides an outline of S²EV concept of operation, system architecture and its basic functional capabilities and discusses S²EV compatibility with current operational practices. Analogue voice system will survive for another decade or two. In a scenario of increasing air traffic, at least current safety and security level should remain preserved. The S²EV concept is proposed to the aeronautical community as a vehicle to achieve such an ambitious goal