Northrop Grumman Corporation, through its Europe-based subsidiary, Park Air Systems, has installed the ground-based elements of what is said to be the world's only certified global navigation satellite system for precision approach and landing. It was installed at Bronnoysund Airport, Norway. Bronnoysund is the first airport in the world to use satellite-based landing guidance for passenger flights. The inaugural flight using the new landing system was an Avinor charter service from Trondheim to Bronnoysund in a Wideroe Dash 8 aircraft and took place last month.

The NORMARC 8005 SCAT-I ground station receives and validates GPS signals and then transmits the calculated signal corrections and flight path data via a VHF data link. SCAT-I avionics uses the received signal to improve position accuracy and signal integrity along a defined flight path. One ground station can serve several approaches for both ends of the runway, thereby creating a cost-effective solution.

Under the delivery contract, Park Air Systems will also provide SCAT-I satellite-based landing systems at up to 25 airports over the next three years. The ground station at Bronnoysund Airport, located 500 miles north of Oslo on the Helgeland coast, was operationally certified in April. Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, based in Peterborough, UK and Oslo and Horten, Norway, supplies communication, navigation and surveillance systems for air-space operations worldwide.

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