Satcom Direct said its FANS-1/A datalink unit (DLU) is the first system to achieve FAA TSO-C159c approval for FANS over Iridium flight deck data communications. According to the company, the DLU—which in April 2015 became the first Iridium datalink to receive FAA TSO-C159—meets the latest –C159c technical standard without any changes to the system’s software or hardware.

“TSO certification makes it simpler to obtain an STC, easing installation, while allowing owners and operators to both reap the benefits of more efficient routes, and preserve the critical safety features of FANS-1/A compliance,” said Mark van Berkel, the general manager of the company’s newly formed Satcom Direct Avionics division.

The FANS-1/A datalink unit simplifies pilot-to-controller communication, reduces communications error and increases efficiency in congested airspace, Satcom Direct said. It also meets the latest minimum operational performance standards for operators who want to comply with the 2020 ADS-C mandate. ADS-C transmits the same aircraft information as ADS-B, but only to one or more specific air traffic services units for surveillance and/or route conformance monitoring.