Salta al contenuto

SCAN

Reviewing, Adapting and Developing CNS Infrastructure and Services to Ensure the Safe Integration of HAO And STO Vehicles

Main Goals of the Project

The integration of space and high-altitude operations (HAO – High Altitude Operations) into European airspace requires new solutions to ensure that Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) capabilities meet the specific characteristics and operational needs of vehicles operating in the upper airspace. In particular, above flight level FL600, traditional barometric altitude solutions can no longer provide the level of reliability required for safe operations. Thus, there is a need to identify and assess alternative, non-barometric altitude solutions that are compatible with the specific requirements of HAO.

Building on the results of the CNS infrastructure studies and flight trials carried out within the ECHO2 project, SCAN will further develop and assess solutions to support the evolution of traffic management in the upper airspace.

SCAN aims to:

  • define feasible CNS technical components and services capable of meeting the needs of different vehicles operating in the upper airspace, both in Europe and beyond;
  • facilitate dialogue among all relevant stakeholders – including airspace users, conventional aviation, HAO operators, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), industry and aviation authorities – to develop a shared understanding of the benefits, requirements and operational acceptability of the proposed solutions;
  • provide a roadmap for the evolution of CNS systems, identifying priorities for technological development as well as the necessary steps towards further standardisation and the evolution of the regulatory framework.

Through this approach, SCAN will contribute to creating the technical, operational and regulatory conditions needed to support the safe, secure and effective integration of new high-altitude operations into European airspace.

CIRA Activities in the Project

CIRA’s specific contributions build on and leverage the experience gained by CIRA in Security Risk Assessment of complex systems in the Air Traffic Management (ATM) domain. They include:

  • design of a “Collaborative Cyber Security Framework” for HAO/CNS, based on a zero-trust architecture;
  • execution of the Security Risk Assessment (SecRA) of the reference SESAR solution;
  • analysis of an automated methodology for the SecRA in the HAO/CNS domain;
  • contributions to the validation of a Cybersecurity Verifier Tool for HAO/CNS;
  • contribution to the definition of recommendations for new HAO/CNS standards.

General Project Information

Funding Programme:Horizon Europe – SESAR 3 (Single European Sky ATM Research) – Digital European Sky – Industrial Research

Start Date: 01/07/2026; End Date: 30/06/2029

Coordinating Organization: Eurocontrol

Partners: Direction Des Services De La Navigation Aerienne (DSNA), European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), NATS, Ecole Nationale De L' Aviation Civile (ENAC), ANRA Technologies, Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali (CIRA), Linkopings Universitet (LiU), Pildo Consulting, ENAIRE, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, Luftfartsverket (LFV), Skypluzzer, ELSON SPACE, OPENUTM LIMITED, Sceye

CIRA Contact: Domenico Pascarella, d.pascarella@cira.it