Air Traffic Management (ATM) prioritizes safety above all else. Clear communication and shared situational awareness are critical to achieving this yet call sign confusion remains a persistent challenge in global ATC operations. Despite standardized procedures, similar-sounding call signs can lead to dangerous misunderstandings, particularly in busy airspace.
Rohde & Schwarz addresses this challenge with CERTIUM Locate, a groundbreaking solution designed to significantly enhance safety and streamline air traffic control.
How CERTIUM Locate works
CERTIUM Locate provides a vital new layer of situational awareness by instantly identifying the aircraft initiating a radio transmission. When an aircraft transmits, the system highlights the aircraft on the air traffic controller’s radar screen. This visual confirmation dramatically speeds up aircraft identification and improves the controller’s situational awareness.
The benefits of CERTIUM Locate
CERTIUM Locate offers a range of advantages for a safer and more efficient air traffic management system:
- Enhanced safety: By immediately linking voice communications to a specific aircraft location, CERTIUM Locate drastically reduces the risk of miscommunication and potential loss of separation. A quick, visual confirmation minimizes delays in clarifying transmissions, a critical factor in fast-moving situations.
- Improved situational awareness: The system allows air traffic controllers to quickly identify aircraft, even those flying outside radar coverage.
- Backup surveillance: CERTIUM Locate provides a critical backup to traditional surveillance methods. Unlike systems reliant on transponders and ADS-B, it operates solely on radio communications. This ensures location updates even if an aircraft’s transponder fails or ADS-B signal is lost.
- Streamlined investigations: The ability to replay voice recordings synchronized with precise aircraft location data offers invaluable insight for post-incident investigations, accelerating analysis and contributing to improved safety procedures.
- Scalable and flexible: CERTIUM Locate can be tailored to different needs, scaling from a single direction finder for approach traffic to a comprehensive, country-wide geolocation system.
- Secure and reliable: Built with robust security measures, including firewalls and user access controls, CERTIUM Locate protects against cyber threats and ensures reliable operation.
- Reduced controller workload: Automatic aircraft identification reduces the mental pressure on air traffic controllers, allowing them to focus on overall traffic management.
In an increasingly congested airspace, CERTIUM Locate empowers air traffic controllers with the tools they need to confidently and accurately manage traffic, ultimately contributing to a safer and more efficient aviation experience.
Join our exclusive webinar on 23. October 2025 to discover how CERTIUM Locate from Rohde & Schwarz provides enhanced visibility and situational awareness through radio-based geolocation – empowering ANSPs without requiring new avionics for aircraft operators.
Or join the on-demand webinar following the live event.
Learn more about CERTIUM Locate
