A KC-135 Stratotanker refueling a Royal Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint June 26, 2014, off the coast of England. Photo: U.S. Air Force

[Via Satellite 07-15-2014] The U.S. Air Force is working with Raytheon to transition from ground-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) to satellite ADS-B. Larger Air Force aircraft such as bombers, cargo planes and refueling tankers have begun receiving new transponder capabilities that broadcast location and other data while flying over civil airspace.

“An ADS-B transponder continuously transmits information, including direction, speed and altitude,” said Scott Whatmough, vice president of Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems’ Integrated Communication Systems. “The purpose behind this latest technology is to increase safety.”

In addition to the switch from ground to space, the ADS-B upgrade incorporates thousands of Raytheon’s Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, which provide time-critical identification of friendly forces using secure messages. The U.S. government is requiring ADS-B technology on all aircraft flying in the United States by 2020.