Reston VA (SPX) Mar 23, 2010 Northrop Grumman has successfully installed a demonstration Real-Time Electronic Flight Data System (REFS) for the U.S. Air Force that will create a more efficient flight information system for air traffic controllers.

REFS is a Terminal Flight Data Management (TFDM) system comprising several modules including the electronic flight strip module that automates the production, distribution and administrative management of flight plan information and other air traffic control data. This is the first operational TFDM system installed in the U.S. at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas.

The system facilitates inter- and intra-facility coordination within and between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) En Route Air Traffic Control Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and various facilities at Sheppard Air Force Base including radar approach, control, air traffic control tower, base operations and emergency response services.

"With REFS, controllers will no longer have to rely on a labor-intensive paper flight strip system," said Catherine Kuenzel, vice president of Federal Mission Programs for Northrop Grumman's Civil Systems division.

"As a leading provider of aeronautical information to the National Airspace System, Northrop Grumman provides robust technology solutions for efficient user access to the Air Force and FAA."

The FAA certified REFS for operation in the National Airspace System on June 24, 2009. The Air Force is currently testing and validating the technology as an alternative to the paper-based system.

Northrop Grumman's teammates on the project include NavCanada, Ottawa, Canada; and Sunhillo, West Berlin, N.J.