BY SEUN JOSEPH
In an unprecedented move to strategically utilize the Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) signal over Africa and Indian Ocean region, NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Thales Alenia and ASECNA have kick started the first SBAS open service through NigComSat-1R which the three partners have successfully conduct series of five flight demos at the Lome International airport, Togo.
According to the country’s SBAS Manager, Dr. Lasisi Salami Lawal, the goal is to showcase the real configuration of the efficiency of the technology developed in the frame of the early open service as part of the ‘SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean’ program which pursues the autonomous provision over the continent of SBAS services, to augment the performance of the satellite navigation constellations GPS and Galileo.
In a statement signed by Mr. Adamu Idris, General Manager, Corporate Affairs department of NIGCOMSAT, said these tests were carried out by the ASECNA calibration aircraft (ATR42-300), which has been equipped for the occasion by Pildo Labs with specific sensors and embarked on VIPs and Pilots from ASKY, the Pan African airline based in Togo, Air Cote d’voire in five rotations over Lome airport.
Lawal, further explained that the aim of the experiment was to demonstrate the ability of the system to allow landing on the two ends of the runway without deployment of local infrastructure with a performance level to the use of Instrument Landing System (ILS). This, he said, demonstrated the benefits of the future operational safety, efficiency and environmental protection.
The outcomes of the demonstrations, according to Lawal, is a crucial step towards the provision and use of satellite navigation services in the Africa and Indian Ocean region.
He explained that the demos will also be debriefed during the international outreach event on SBAS in aviation in Africa, gathering airlines, aircraft manufacturers and other aviation stakeholders from all over the world precisely at the end of the month.
Reacting to this development, the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Dr. Abimbola Alale said ‘We are proud to support the SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean Open Service for Africa and to have contributed to the success of these inflight demos using our geostationary communication satellite, NigComSat-1R navigation payload’.
She explained that the “achievement is in line with the policy directions of the Hon Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibraim Ali (Pantami) FNCS, FBCS, FIIM, for value propensity not only in the communications sector but also in the maritime, rail, transport, precision, agriculture, survey, oil and gas and mass market applications for sustainable development beyond Nigeria’s shores”.
The Vice President, Navigation business at Thales Alenia Space, Benoit Broudy, stated that, “Our longstanding expertise acquired with the development of EGNOS’ SBAS in Europe and KASS SBAS in Korea combined with our new leading-edge satellite positioning technologies makes Thales Alenia Space the ideal partner to best support countries to implement their own SBAS efficiently. We hope these series of demos will help to accelerate SBAS adoption in aviation in Africa”.
Also commenting, the Director-General of ASECNA, Mohamed Moussa said “I am proud to have demonstrated the utility and efficiency of the SBAS services in the continent. This event will bolster the deployment of the “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” system, the navigation solution for Africa by Africa, which will enhance air navigation safety and efficiency for the benefit of the whole continent, in line with my vision for the unification of the African Sky”.
It would be recalled that in September 2020, NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Thales Alenia and ASECNA started the broadcast of the SBAS signal over Africa and the Indian Ocean.
