The Decline and Fall of the Advanced Automation System

			   David A. Spencer
		       MIT Lincoln Laboratories

The Advanced Automation System (AAS) program of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) had several ambitious goals. It was to replace
aging air traffic control (ATC) computers and display systems at both
en route and terminal (airport) control facilities, consolidate all
the terminal control facilities into the en route facilities, and
provide the infrastructure for future automation aids to air traffic
controllers. These future automation aids were expected to increase
the efficiency of the ATC system and reduce its impact on airline
costs by allowing more direct routing and fuel-efficient altitude
profiles. The FAA started the AAS design competition in 1984, and
selected the production contractor in 1988. They cancelled most of the
contract in June 1994, after an expenditure of approximately $1.5
billion. Some of the products have been incorporated into the programs
that have replaced AAS. 

Lincoln Laboratory first participated in the AAS program in April-May
1994 as a member of the replanning teams. During the summer of 1994
the Laboratory and the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie
Mellon University performed a technical audit of the software of the
major remaining segment of the AAS, the Initial Sector Suite Subsystem
(ISSS). This talk will present an overview of the AAS program as
originally planned, a summary of the events leading up to its
restructuring, the objectives and conclusions of the ISSS software
audit, and an overview of the programs that have resulted from the AAS
restructuring.