DCA Myanmar

Communication, Navigation and Surveillance Division (CNSD)

The CNSD is headed by a Director and is responsible for installation, commissioning, operation and maintaining of the communication, navigation and surveillance systems and information technology systems of the DCA.
The division is also responsible for overseeing and monitoring of system integrity and reliability, and taking necessary actions to introduce enhancements to the above-mentioned systems.

See Divisional Organization Chart

Brief History

During the pre-independence period, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) took responsibility for carrying out all of Myanmar’s civil aviation functions and after independence it was considered not appropriate for the aeronautical communications functions under the management of BOAC and through the efforts of efficient young communication engineers, the International Aeradio Limited (IAL) was contacted and Myanmar’s aeronautical communication functions were contracted to IAL and so the foundation for the future of Myanmar’s civil aviation communication sector was laid.
With a view for the systematic development of international civil aviation, the Chicago Convention was signed at Chicago on April 4, 1947 and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was formed. Myanmar became a member state of the ICAO on August 7, 1948.
The backbone of air traffic control is aeronautical communication equipment and radio navigational aids that DCA has to upgrade and extend progressively to meet the requirements of modern international techniques and systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

For the safety of the aircraft which pass through the Yangon FIR, land and take-off to and from an airport, the ACNS branch takes a great care of the operation and maintenance of each system and equipment installed at Yangon Area Control Centre (ACC) and the Air Traffic Control Tower in order to support the better communication facilities such as HF, VHF, VSAT-RCAG(VHF) and AFTN(Data), navigation facilities such as NDB, VOR/DME and ILS/DME and surveillance facilities such as PSR/SSR and ADS/ CPDLC.

EXISTING CNS STATUS

COMMUNICATIONS

HF Voice Communication

Yangon Area Control Centre (ACC) used the single transmitter of HF for the control of both domestic and international aircraft until 1989. The new CODAN 9480 HF SSB Transceivers were installed at Yangon ACC and Domestic Airports in 1995 and communication capability increased. In August 2005, the international en-route HF transmitter was replaced with the Thales TMR 5219 (1 KW). This Transceiver includes aeronautical SELCAL facility. Domestic HF was also replaced by Thales TMR 5219 (500W) Transceiver and backed up by Barrett HF SSB transceiver.

VHF (RCAG) Voice Communication

With the increase of flights in the Yangon Flight Information Region (FIR), it became necessary to overcome the range limitation of VHF communication and the propagation disturbances in HF. Therefore the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) leased Microwave channels from MPT and established Extended Range Remote Control Air to Ground VHF (RCAG VHF) starting with two stations in Mandalay and Dawei in June 1988.Two other stations at Kawthoung Airport (Victoria Point) and Lashio Airport were added in 1995 and the fifth station at Pathein Airport in June 1996.The system giving 90 per cent of VHF coverage through out the FIR.

A couple of years ago, the RCAG system suffered from interference of illegal high power cordless phones and most of the sites encountered heavy disturbances. The government also tried to stop the use of illegal cordless telephones, but was not fully successful. The DCA Myanmar changed the frequency of the ACC sector II from 134.2 MHz to the frequency of the general purpose, 127.1 MHz, but some of the RCAG sites can no longer be used.

In 2004, the DCA Myanmar signed an agreement with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI) to renew the RCAG network with a modern digital system complete with solar powers and own VSAT links. The new system was installed at Mandalay, Lashio and Sittwe for the North sector and at Myeik and Pathein for the South sector, altogether five remote stations. The new system was fully operational with effect from 9th June 2005 after a month trial as notified by AIP SUP 01/05.

ATS DSC Voice Communication

The Air Traffic Services – Direct Speech Circuit (ATS DSC) voice communication between Yangon ACC and Bangkok ACC was upgraded from leased satellite channel link to dedicated Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) link in 1993. The ATS DSC between Yangon and Kolkata was used on MPT satellite link since 1993. The ATS DSC between Yangon and Kunming was also used on VSAT link since 1995.

AMSS (AFTN) Data Link Communication

In October 1985, an Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) was installed and the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) link between Yangon and Bangkok was promoted to a satellite link using a dedicated leased satellite channel hired from MPT. In March 1993, the VSAT link was installed and the AFTN data link can handle Character Oriented Protocol-category B (COP B) messages at a speed of 300 bauds. In 2000, a new AMSS (NEC) was installed and AFTN data links between Yangon and Bangkok, between Yangon and Beijing were used.

Air Ground Data Link Communication
(Controller Pilot Data Link Communication)

NAVIGATION

NDB

There were 32 Non- Directional Beacon (NDB) stations installed in the Domestic and International airport. The G142 (Redifon) NDB was used Since1960 and still used in six stations which were planning to replace with the new Nautel NDB500II NDB. Naypyitaw, Heho, Banmaw and Kyaukpyu airports NDBs were already replaced with the new NDBs.

VOR/DME

To support the bearing and distance information from station, five VHF Omni-Range / Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) stations were installed since 1978 at Dawei, Bago, Pathein, Lashio and Mandalay for enroute navigation, back up by high power NDBs. The new DVOR/DME equipment was installed in 2007 at Naypyitaw airport.ILS/DMEFor the safety of landing in the bad weather, Yangon Instrument Landing System/ Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) was installed in 1994 and Mandalay ILS/DME was installed in 2000. The new ILS/DME was installed in 2007 at Naypyitaw airport.

SURVEILLANCE

SSR Mode A/C

Yangon Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) was installed in 1997 and Mandalay Primary Surveillance Radar/ Secondary Surveillance (PSR/SSR) was followed by the year 2000. To replace the old Radar system, DCA Myanmar had signed agreement with Thales ATM to install the new Secondary Surveillance Radars at Yangon, Mandalay and Myeik. The project was finished in September 2008 together with the new EUROCAT Control Centre at Yangon ACC.

ADS/CPDLC

Out of the Radar coverage, the Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) with Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) was used since 1998 using SITA link. The system can support the navigation data like position, speed and time of each aircraft. And two way data link communication between Controller and Pilot.

In the future, DCA is planning to install the new Automatic Message Handling System (AMHS) which can handle the Bit Oriented Protocol messages at a speed of 9600 bauds. In July 2005, the Meteorological data were used in Digital Data form BUFR (Binary Universal Format for the Representation of Meteorological data) and OPMET (Operational Meteorological Information). These digital data can only be handled by the new AMHS.

Aeronautical Communication, Navigation and Surveillance Facilities

No.	Airport/Station	Communication Facility	Navigation facility	Surveillance facility
1	ANN	HF,VHF	NDB	-
2	ANISAKAN	HF,VHF	NDB	-
3	BAGAN	HF,VHF	NDB	-
4	BAGO(BGO)*	-	VOR	-
5	BANMAW	HF,VHF	NDB	-
6	BOKEPYINN	HF,VHF	-	-
7	CHANMYATHAZI	HF,VHF	NDB	-
8	DAWEI	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	VOR/DME, NDB	-
9	HEHO	HF,VHF	NDB	-
10	HLEGU(HGU)*	-	VOR/DME, NDB	-
11	HOMMALINN	HF,VHF	NDB	-
12	KALAYMYO	HF,VHF	NDB	-
13	KAWTHOUNG	HF,VHF	NDB	-
14	KANTI	HF,VHF	NDB	-
15	KENGTUNG	HF,VHF	NDB	-
16	KYAUKTU	HF,VHF	-	-
17	KYAUKPYU	HF,VHF	NDB	-
18	LASHIO	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	VOR/DME, NDB	-
19	LOIKAW	HF,VHF	NDB	-
20	MAGWE	HF,VHF	NDB	-
21	MANDALAY	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	VOR/DME, NDB, ILS	PSR/SSR
22	MAWLAMYINE	HF,VHF	NDB	-
23	MINGALADON SOUTH (MDS)*	-	NDB	-
24	MONG-HSAT	HF,VHF	NDB	-
25	MONYWAR	HF,VHF	-	-
26	MYEIK	HF,VHF	NDB	SSR
27	MYITKYINA	HF,VHF	NDB	-
28	NAYPYITAW	HF,VHF	VOR/DME, NDB, ILS	-
29	HPA-AN	HF,VHF	NDB	-
30	PAKHOKKU	HF,VHF	NDB	-
31	PATHEIN	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	VOR/DME, NDB	-
32	PUTAO	HF,VHF	NDB	-
33	SITTWE	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	NDB	-
34	TACHILEIK	HF,VHF	NDB	-
35	THANDWE	HF,VHF	NDB	-
36	YANGON	HF,VHF, VSAT/RCAG	VOR/DME, NDB, ILS	SSR