The first Air Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) engineered for civil aircraft in Russia has successfully cleared ground and flight trials, marking a significant milestone in airborne safety technology. The development team presented the progress to TASS from the Institute of Aviation Instrumentation known as Navigator, detailing a rigorous program of checks that examined both hardware performance and software responsiveness across a broad range of operational scenarios.
During the evaluation phase, numerous flights were conducted at various times to stress-test the system. Specialists observed EPSV operations from in-flight vantage points, validating its ability to issue timely warnings and provide maneuvering recommendations to pilots. The Navigator team confirmed that the outcomes of these test flights met or exceeded the predefined success criteria, underscoring the system’s readiness for further refinement and potential deployment in broader fleets within the national aerospace framework.
In addition to civil platforms, a military transport variant, the Il-76MD-90A employed by the Russian Aerospace Forces, participated in parallel testing. This aircraft model is slated for serial installation of the latest airborne collision avoidance technology, with parallel test cycles designed to ensure compatibility, reliability, and seamless integration with existing avionics suites. The ACAS functions by delivering collision-avoidance signals to the autopilot, enabling automatic trajectory adjustments when risk conditions are detected. The system also features weather observation in passive mode and an active transceiver that shares positional information with nearby aircraft, while incorporating recognition capabilities that help outline the surrounding environment for enhanced situational awareness during flight operations.