ATC
ICAO Adopts Multi-constellation Standards for GNSS
The International Civil Aviation Organization considers the rollout of new dual-frequency multi-constellation standards a ‘major milestone’.
Satellite in orbit above the Earth
DFMC allows for the combination of dual frequency signals from up to four GNSS constellations simultaneously, including the GPS system in the U.S., and Galileo in Europe. (Image: ICAO)

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council achieved what it called a major milestone this week in the global standardization and rollout of new dual-frequency multi-constellation (DFMC) capabilities for international aviation’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). DFMC GNSS allows for the combination of dual frequency signals from up to four GNSS constellations simultaneously, including GPS (U.S.), Galileo (EU), Glonass (Russia), and BeiDou (China).

Advances in aircraft-, satellite-, and ground-based augmentation systems have allowed for the capability, which will become more prevalent as aircraft become increasingly equipped with DMFC-capable avionics.