Conference Theme: “Agility and Sustainability: Embracing Rapid Evolution and Uncertainty”
20 – 22 April, 2021 — A Virtual Conference for 2021
The Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference is the premier international aviation conference addressing technology and policy advances in communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) and air traffic Management (ATM). The ICNS Conference provides a forum for leaders and technical experts from government, industry, and academia around the world to address important policy issues and set the future direction of CNS and ATM.
The 2021 ICNS Conference theme is “Agility and Sustainability: Embracing Rapid Evolution and Uncertainty.” Due to the ongoing pandemic crisis, ICNS 2021 will be an online conference. The program will focus on the challenges of sustaining our CNS/ATM infrastructure while simultaneously addressing future CNS and ATM requirements, which are driven by evolving technologies and transportation modes:
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS),
- Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM),
- Commercial space operations,
- Hypersonic aircraft operations,
- Cybersecurity, and
- Spectrum access and capacity issues.
The global ATM infrastructure is enormous in size and complexity. While current ATM systems are reliable, efficient, and safe—ongoing maintenance, equipage, and technology updates are required to sustain this level of performance. At the same time, new air transportation concepts and vehicles are emerging to serve the world’s transportation needs. These new concepts and vehicles require new infrastructure, new services, and new policies to ensure safety, operational efficiency, and reliability.
This conference will examine the challenges and explore potential strategies and solutions for integrating new air transportation systems and their infrastructure needs with the legacy CNS/ATM infrastructure.
- How will the industry sustain the current CNS/ATM functionality while simultaneously integrating new CNS/ATM concepts and infrastructure into the global ATM enterprise?
- What is needed to implement new technologies with agility while maintaining and sustaining the existing infrastructure’s functionality?
- How do you manage this evolution given the uncertainty about what the new technology will require for infrastructure and for CNS/ATM procedures and policies?
Take advantage of this opportunity to share your ideas, insights, and information with other CNS/ATM thought leaders from around the world. This is your chance to help shape and define the future! The ICNS Conference also provides an excellent opportunity to meet and network with fellow CNS policy makers and research specialists during the discussion and virtual networking sessions scheduled before, during, and after the live conference presentations.
Additional information and details regarding the conference will be shared in the coming weeks For now, think about this important and current challenge regarding the future of our CNS/ATM infrastructure and submit your abstract ideas for the conference (limited to two papers per author).
Paper Topics for the Conference Technical Sessions
Papers and presentations are solicited for the technical sessions, addressing the key topical areas listed below:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Future CNS/ATM Solutions
- Managing Complexity and Uncertainty in Future CNS/ATM Requirements and Evolving Technology Trends
- Future CNS/ATM requirements and evolving technology trends
- Transitioning from today’s CNS technologies to those required for the future
- Commercial, Military, and Consumer Remotely Piloted and Autonomous Systems
- Integration of emerging systems (UTM, UAS, AAM, UAM, hypersonic aircraft, and Commercial Space Transportation) into the airspace and air traffic management systems
- Data and Voice Communications Systems
- Surveillance Systems & Situational Awareness
- Navigation Systems & Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Technologies
- GPS resiliency and backup PNT strategies
- CNS Integration and Avionics Consolidation
- Cybersecurity
- Performance-based CNS/ATM and supporting technologies for new air transportation concepts
- Airport & Airspace Operations/Optimization
- Civil/Military Airspace Interoperability
- Integration of UAS Traffic Management and other new ANSP concepts into the current system
- Spectrum Management and the Impact of the Changing Aviation Spectrum Environment on CNS
Sponsors and Exhibits
ICNS 2021 invites industry sponsorship, exhibits, and product demonstrations by representatives of CNS-related industries and organizations. Participating as an exhibitor in the conference allows personal interaction with customers and key policy decision makers from around the world to help move your research and products closer to daily operations. The ICNS 2021 team is working hard to connect ICNS sponsors with the ICNS community and to highlight the visibility of our sponsors’ messages throughout the year – before, during, and after the live conference.
For more information, contact Sponsors and Exhibits Chair Mark Darnell, sponsor.exhibits.chair@i-cns.org.
Abstract Submission
Authors are invited to submit abstracts by 18 December 2020, addressing one or more of the key topical areas listed above or having a critical relevance to the above aeronautical CNS topics. Abstracts should clearly define the goal of the work, its tasks, methods or results (anticipated or completed) as well as the potential benefits or applications of the work. Abstracts need to be clear and concise, with at least 250 words and no more than 750 words.
If there are additional questions, please contact the technical program chairs or the technical publication chair.
Deadlines (dates subject to change)
- Abstract submission:
29 January 2021CLOSED - Notification of acceptance:
2 February 2021CLOSED - Final papers due: 8 March 2021
- Presentations Due: 10 March 2021
Organizers – Contacts Points
Conference General Chair
Dr. Gregory Woo, US DOT/Volpe Center
conference.general.chair@i-cns.org
Technical Program Chairs
Michael Olive, Honeywell
Sherry Yang, Boeing
technical.chair@i-cns.org
Sponsors and Exhibits Chair
Mark Darnell, GE Aviation Systems
sponsor.exhibits.chair@i-cns.org
Plenary Program Chairs
Brent Phillips, FAA
Dr. Nikos Fistas, Eurocontrol
plenary.program.chair@i-cns.org
Finance Chair
Denise Ponchak, NASA Glenn Research Center
finance.chair@i-cns.org
Technical Publications Chair
Tony Rossetti, ALR International
publications.chair@i-cns.org
Student Activity Chair
Dr. Lance Sherry, George Mason University
student.activity.chair@i-cns.org
Awards Chair
Chiemi Heil, US DOT/Volpe Center
awards.chair@i-cns.org
Networking Events Chair
Greg Deeds, Technology Exploration Group, Inc.
Ann Tedford, Aviation Management Associates
networking.events.chair@i-cns.org
ICNS website: https://i-cns.org/
ICNS is a not-for-profit event, jointly organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Digital Avionics Technical Committee (DATC) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS), with active support from industry and government.