ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast: "Dependent because the position and velocity vectors are derived from the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other suitable Navigation Systems (i.e., FMS)." It is described as "Surveillance because it provides a method of determining 3 dimensional position and identification of aircraft, vehicles, or other assets" and "Broadcast because it transmits the information available to anyone with the appropriate receiving equipment." The FAA notes that "ADS-B Out works by broadcasting information about an aircraft's GPS location, altitude, ground speed and other data to ground stations and other aircraft, once per second," and that air traffic controllers and properly equipped aircraft can immediately receive this information for more precise tracking compared to radar.

Mode S ES capable transponders send unsolicited periodic ADS-B messages that provide aircraft's position, velocity, time and other relevant information. On-board navigation systems determine the aircraft’s position vector (location, time, velocity, intent, if available) and other parameters related to aircraft/flight status. The transceivers periodically broadcast aircraft/flight status information to ADS-B ground stations and other aircraft equipped with ADS-B equipment.

ADS-B is a surveillance technique that relies on aircraft or airport vehicles broadcasting their identity, position and other information derived from on board systems (GNSS etc.). This signal (ADS-B Out) can be captured for surveillance purposes on the ground or on board other aircraft in order to facilitate airborne traffic situational awareness, spacing, separation and self-separation. It is now supporting active operations and improving network performance, and will enrich ETFMS’s complex traffic demand and slot allocation calculations, which currently relied mainly on ground-based surveillance data and flight plan processing systems.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS–B) is an advanced surveillance technology that combines an aircraft’s positioning source, aircraft avionics, and a ground infrastructure to create an accurate surveillance interface between aircraft and ATC.[5] ADS–B is a performance–based surveillance technology that is more precise than radar and consists of two different services: ADS–B Out and ADS–B In.[5] ADS-B Out works by broadcasting information about an aircraft's GPS location, altitude, ground speed and other data to ground stations and other aircraft, once per second.[5] ADS-B In provides operators of properly equipped aircraft with weather and traffic position information delivered directly to the cockpit, and there is no authorization required to use ADS-B In for basic traffic situational awareness.[5]

Automatic Dependent Surveillance- Broadcast: Automatic - Does not require pilot intervention. Dependent - Require cooperation from the aircraft e.g. need aircraft to report information accurately. Surveillance - Provide info on position, identity, altitude etc. Broadcast - Information is broadcasted to receivers in range. Equipped on almost all large passenger aircraft. Typical information in the ADS-B reports from receiver includes time stamp, aircraft address, aircraft ID and position information.

At EUROCONTROL, our ADS-B activity supports our stakeholders in a comprehensive end-to-end approach. We address ground, airborne and space-based ADS-B aspects and aim to optimise the use of surveillance data in Europe. Our long-standing ADS-B activity addresses our stakeholders’ needs in a comprehensive end-to-end approach, including operational, technical, planning and business aspects.

We aim to optimise the use of surveillance data in Europe. Our contribution: We provide surveillance implementation support, performance-based surveillance (PBS), ADS-B and non-cooperative surveillance. Furthermore, our long-standing ADS-B activity addresses our stakeholders’ needs in a comprehensive end-to-end approach, including operational, technical, planning and business aspects.

The ADS-B state vector report from a broadcasting aircraft includes horizontal position, horizontal velocity, altitude and altitude rate. The successful use of ASPA-FIM application depends on the position and velocity measurement accuracies offered by ADS-B, which is a satellite based surveillance system using input from on-board navigation systems.

In a major operational enhancement of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager’s operational systems, real-time air traffic surveillance data derived from Aireon’s space-based ADS-B system has now been integrated into the Enhanced Traffic Flow Management System (ETFMS). Space-based ADS-B surveillance covers oceanic, polar and remote regions, and augments existing ground-based systems that are limited to populations and continental coverage, providing a more complete surveillance picture and enhancing situational awareness for air traffic management.

EUROCONTROL will use Aireon's space-based ADS-B data to enhance air traffic flow management capabilities across Europe. Aireon data will be integrated into EUROCONTROL’s enhanced tactical flow management system (ETFMS), which provides data to European aviation stakeholders in real time. EUROCONTROL recognizes the global value in connecting ANSPs through a common, high-fidelity, global data source that provides situational awareness of actual aircraft position information.

Textron Aviation explains: "Called Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B), the technology will eventually replace radar as the primary surveillance method for Air Traffic Control (ATC) monitoring and separation of aircraft worldwide." It states that "ADS-B allows equipped aircraft and ground vehicles to broadcast their identification, position, altitude and velocity to other aircraft and ATC. This is called ADS-B Out." The article also highlights advantages including "Increase capacity and efficiency of airspace" and "Expand ATC surveillance into more areas," emphasizing ADS-B’s role in traffic surveillance and airspace management.

ADS-B is a surveillance technique that relies on aircraft or airport vehicles broadcasting their identity, position and other information derived from on-board systems. ADS-B is seen as a key enabler of the future ATM Network and will be vital to the achievement of Single European Sky and NextGen performance objectives, including safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental sustainability. The introduction of ADS-B in the surveillance infrastructure provides important features which can be exploited by the ATM Network, including air-to-air surveillance and a traffic situational awareness picture available on board.

Flightradar24 describes ADS-B as a system that "enables aircraft to determine their position using GPS and automatically broadcast that information to ground stations and other aircraft." It notes that "ADS-B enables aircraft to broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and other data, providing the basis for the next generation of air traffic control" and that this real-time view "is more information rich, accurate and reliable than traditional radar-based systems." The page adds that ADS-B data is received and decoded to include "the aircraft’s unique identifier, GPS position, altitude, heading, speed, and other information" and that the primary use is in air traffic control, allowing controllers to track aircraft with greater accuracy and more efficient routing.

ADS-B Out-equipped aircraft broadcast precise information, including position, velocity, and identification, to ground stations and other aircraft every second. This continuous data stream enables air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft movements with greater accuracy and timeliness, even in areas where traditional radar coverage is limited. In contrast, ADS-B Out transmits real-time data – position, velocity, and identification – every second, providing air traffic controllers with near-instantaneous updates.

Spire states that ADS-B "uses GPS satellites and other navigation tools to help determine an aircraft’s location at any given time. This information is then broadcast periodically via public radio frequencies to a network of ADS-B receivers." It emphasizes that "ADS-B technology provides real-time information on aircraft position and parameters, which is key. This data can be used by all aircraft with ADS-B IN equipment ... and air traffic controllers (ATCs) to make real-time decisions." The article notes that installing ADS-B In with ADS-B Out "can significantly improve situational awareness" and that ADS-B tracking "supports both ATCs and pilots in a number of ways, but most importantly, with increasing safety across the skies."

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast is a primary technology supporting the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, which shifts aircraft separation and air traffic control from ground-based radar to satellite-derived positions. ADS-B Out broadcasts an aircraft’s WAAS-enhanced GPS position to the ground, where it is displayed to air traffic controllers. It’s also transmitted to aircraft with ADS-B receivers, either directly or relayed by ground stations, increasing the pilot’s situational awareness.

FlightAware explains that "ADS-B equipped aircraft emit their exact position and Mode S aircraft can be tracked via multilateration (MLAT) when the signal is received by three or more receivers." It describes how aircraft "broadcast their identification and this three dimensional position (latitude, longitude, altitude) on 1090MHz or 978MHz, which can be received by a radio within line of sight of the aircraft." FlightAware operates "a worldwide network of ADS-B and Mode S receivers" and aggregates the data to provide global flight tracking, illustrating ADS-B’s use as a large-scale aviation data source.

In Interval Management Applications, ADS-B increases the situational awareness of the crew by providing guidance regarding the speed which helps the crew to maintain appropriate spacing.[1] It provides real-time information regarding the aircraft position, velocity etc. to both pilots and ATC, and automatically provides traffic call-outs and warnings of an upcoming potential runway incursion.[1] As discussed ADS-B offers a lot of advantages like enhancing the efficiency of airspace capacity and usage by the efficient use of runways, increases the safety by providing real-time information regarding the aircraft position, velocity etc. to both pilots and ATC.[1] It is efficient in areas where radar is unavailable or ineffective, and increases the situational awareness, and provides surface surveillance at the airport, and aircraft derived data for ground-based ATM tools.[1]

Business aviation has long supported efforts to modernize the nation’s airspace, including equipage of satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities for monitoring aircraft in the skies and on the ground.[4] ADS-B transmits GPS-derived aircraft position information along with several other data fields including aircraft type, speed, flight number, and whether the aircraft is turning, climbing or descending, which are not transmitted by today’s radar technology.[4] This information is broadcast to air traffic control (ATC) as well as other aircraft.[4] Aircraft equipped with ADS-B that transmit these data fields have what is called ADS-B Out; an aircraft has ADS-B In when it not only sends the ADS-B Out data, but also receives the data sent from other aircraft and ATC for added situational awareness on the flight deck.[4]

Cutter Aviation notes: "Using the ADS-B datalink, each airplane will automatically transmit its precise position, its velocity (both vertically and horizontally), as well as its identification." It further explains that these broadcasts also include "other important information" and are received by ground stations and other aircraft, enabling enhanced situational awareness and improved traffic surveillance.

ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. ADS-B Out is a surveillance technology for tracking aircraft - it's what ATC needs to manage traffic. This is the transmitter mounted in your airplane that reports your position, velocity and altitude once per second. This transmission is received by ATC and nearby aircraft and this data makes up the equivalent of a radar display.

We have been monitoring ADS-B airborne equipage in Europe since 2000. Through our ADS-B equipage monitoring task, we provide data on aircraft equipage rates in Europe and their technical characteristics, supporting airborne and ground stakeholders so that the overall surveillance chain performs according to requirements. Equipped on almost all large passenger aircraft, ADS-B equipage levels demonstrate its widespread use as a cooperative surveillance data source.

ADS-B Exchange describes the system: "Aircraft use ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) to transmit their position and flight information, enabling precise tracking worldwide." The site highlights that it connects "the world’s largest independent ADS-B receiver network, displaying all aircraft broadcasts as received, delivering real-time and historical visibility into global aircraft activity" and that it provides "ultra-low-latency aircraft positions updated every 500 milliseconds," showing ADS-B’s role as a widely used source for global situational awareness.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) is an aviation surveillance technology and form of electronic conspicuity in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation or other sensors and periodically broadcasts its position and other related data, enabling it to be tracked. ADS-B Out provides air traffic controllers with real-time aircraft position information that is, in most cases, more accurate than the information available with current radar-based systems. ADS-B enhances safety by making an aircraft visible, in realtime, to air traffic control (ATC) and to other ADS-B In equipped aircraft, with position and velocity data transmitted every second.

This technical documentation for ADS-B version 0 explains that two sets of parameters are related to "the position and velocity (or rate) separately," referring to navigation uncertainty categories for each. It illustrates that ADS-B message formats explicitly encode both position-related and velocity-related information, which are used in surveillance and tracking applications.

With ADS-B, aircraft report their position and velocity data transmitted every second. ADS-B data can be recorded and downloaded for post-flight analysis, providing detailed information about aircraft movements for surveillance and safety investigations.

In aviation systems literature, ADS-B is routinely described as a cooperative surveillance technology where aircraft equipped with transponders broadcast their own state vectors (position, ground speed or velocity, and sometimes intent/status) derived from onboard navigation systems. These broadcasts are used by ground-based air traffic management systems and airborne traffic situational awareness tools, and large-scale networks of ADS-B receivers (e.g., commercial flight-tracking services and research datasets) have made ADS-B a widely used data source for global air traffic surveillance and situational awareness.

Real-time air traffic surveillance data derived from Aireon’s space-based ADS-B system has now been integrated into EUROCONTROL’s Enhanced Traffic Flow Management System. The new data will significantly boost air traffic predictability by up to 20%, improving operational efficiency and resilience while unlocking capacity for the future, demonstrating the use of ADS-B data for large-scale aviation situational awareness and air traffic management.

ADS-B OUT signals are sent from transmitting airplanes and received by ATC ground stations as well as nearby airplanes via a digital data link (1090 megahertz), providing the transmitting plane's lateral position, altitude, velocity, and flight number, while ADS-B IN refers to the received signal.[7] ADS-B significantly enhances flight crews' situational awareness by providing them with a clear understanding of their position relative to other aircraft; the system provides precise and widely shared traffic information, ensuring that all participants have a common operational picture.[7] ADS-B, unlike conventional radar, operates at low altitudes and on the ground, enabling traffic monitoring on airport taxiways and runways and is also beneficial in remote areas where radar coverage is limited or absent.[7]

ICAO describes Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS‑B) as a means by which aircraft, aerodrome vehicles and other objects can automatically transmit and/or receive data such as identification, position and additional data, as appropriate, in a broadcast mode via a data link.[7] ADS-B provides precise and widely shared traffic information, ensuring that all participants have a common operational picture, and offers more accurate and timely surveillance information than radar, with more frequent updates.[7] It is identified as an important element in future air traffic management systems to improve safety and efficiency through enhanced situational awareness.[7]

The AVIO Knowledge post states that "ADS-B enhances safety by making an aircraft visible, realtime, to air traffic control (ATC) ADS-B aircraft with position and velocity data." It characterizes ADS-B as "one of the most important technologies" for modern air traffic surveillance, underscoring that the system broadcasts cooperative aircraft state information that ATC can use.

ADS-B aircraft have position and velocity data transmitted every second. ADS-B data can be recorded and downloaded for post-flight analysis, allowing operators to review the cooperative surveillance information provided during a flight.

The post explains that publicly accessible data from ADS-B is used by platforms like ADS-B Exchange and FlightAware to provide real-time, global, and often granular maps of aircraft movements.[8] It notes that because ADS-B messages include aircraft position, altitude, speed, and identification, aggregating this cooperative data from many receivers enables large-scale aviation situational awareness for both professional and public flight-tracking services.[8]