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WAAS

Wide Area Augmentation System

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WAAS

Program Description

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)

The navigation system that dramatically increases the accuracy, integrity and availability of GPS.

Key Capabilities

Key Capabilities

  • Provides service for en route navigation, airport departures, and airport arrivals
  • Provides precise navigation and landing guidance to equipped aircraft in most weather conditions over the entire National Air Space (NAS)
  • Provides the only means for precision like approaches at many airfields.
  • Enables the essential NextGen capability referred to as Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B).
Program Benefits

Benefits

  • Pilots will have more stable vertical guidance with WAAS over conventional approaches, such as an Instrument Landing System (ILS Approach
  • An LPV approach can provide minimums as low as 200 feet at qualifying airports.
  • WAAS opens up new economic opportunities and improves access to otherwise isolated areas across America.
  • WAAS is interoperable with other Space Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Japan's Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) Satellite Based Augmentation System (MSAS).