India to soon get global navigation system for ISRO, AAI

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) India will soon acquire a
comprehensive global navigation satellite system to meet the
requirements of Indian Space Research Organisation (I.S.R.O.)
and Airports Authority of India (A.A.I.).

"India has tied up recently with U.S. aerospace major
Raytheon Company for the final phase of its ambitious Global
Positioning Satellite-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented
Navigation System (G.A.G.A.N.)," said Andy Zogg, the company's
vice president of Airspace Management and Homeland Security.

G.A.G.A.N. will provide satellite-based navigation for
civil aviation across South and East Asia, which will provide
India with "the most accurate, flexible and efficient" air
navigation system deployed.

"Raytheon looks forward to continuing our collaborative
relationship with I.S.R.O. and A.A.I. during this critical
phase of G.A.G.A.N. We are committed to a thorough transfer of
knowledge of the G.A.G.A.N. system to further enhance India's
leadership position in air navigation," Zogg told P.T.I.

A Raytheon team will be reaching India soon to deliver
the solution and to leverage its experience gained during the
past several years in deploying the technology demonstration
system phase of G.A.G.A.N.

"The G.A.G.A.N. design is based on the experience gained
delivering the only certified space-based augmentation system.
For instance, the Wide Area Augmentation System was certified
by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in July 2003, and
the M.T.S.A.T. Satellite Augmentation System was certified by
the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau in September 2007," Zogg
said.

Raytheon has already teamed up with Accord Software
Systems from Bangalore for G.P.S.-based user-receiver
prototype development optimised for the equatorial region.

Another Indian team member in the project would be Elcome
Technologies from Gurgaon for logistical and on-site support.

Washington-based Naverus Inc. would be the third team
member for performance-based navigation route design,
procedure flight validation and other related services.