Samenvatting

Connectivity does not automatically provide NEC, but there is no NEC without connectivity. The integration of UCSs into a C2 network can significantly reduce the amount of voice communication needed to coordinate and synchronize events. The integration of UCSs into an ATMnetwork provides the basis for UAV operations in future controlled airspace, as foreseen in NEXTGEN and SESAR. By taking advantage of existing technologies which are not yet fully exploited and taking into account the similarities with related developments in civil aviation, an evolutionary approach for the integration of a UCS with ATC and C2 systems is being pursued. When starting to tie together systems that were not designed with the envisioned networking concept in mind, the resulting connectivity that can be achieved may be more limited than desired. Yet, it often allows the NEC level to be increased from 1 to at least 2. In order to identify feasible opportunities, it is important to understand the possibilities and limitations for a particular configuration. To explore NEC for UAV missions, existing connectivity together with wrappers, linkages and fillers has been used to create a simulation environment in which C2, ATC and a UCS are integrated. In this way, the opportunities can be explored for a range of possible configurations in terms of connectivity and functions. The results illustrate that the opportunities which can be realized using existing connectivity already provide significant operational benefits. Hence, it is concluded that waiting with the development and implementation of functions that increase the NEC level until the ‘promised’ connectivity becomes available, will unnecessarily delay the moment at which
significant operational gains can be realized.