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The problematic addressed in this paper aims at designing a security architecture for the whole set of digital aeronautical communications. This security architecture, focused on aeronautical data link communications, would have to consider the di erent parts of aeronautical communications related to aircraft segment, satellite air-ground segment and ground segment. Consequently, this security architecture would be able to interconnect in a secure way the \aircraft" world and the \outside" world (Internet for instance). Thus, the architecture we introduce is dynamic and exible with regards to several factors such as tra c density or service priorities thanks to an available network resources based adaptive security management.

In this paper we discuss the possibility of using a broadband satellite-based system to support aeronautical communications. First, we investigate the applications and service requirements for current and future aeronautical communications. Then the communication system and network architecture are outlined and some of the system components are discussed in detail, including the satellite transmission channel, the airplane on-board network, and various aspects of the aeronautical terminals. Finally we present a simulation analysis of the system with the focus on meeting the Quality of Service requirements for the identified service categories.

A possible operational system scenario for providing satellite communications services to the future aviation community was analyzed. The system concept relies on a Ka-band (20/30 GHz) satellite that utilizes multibeam antenna (MBA) technology. The aircraft terminal uses an extremely small aperture antenna as a result of using this higher spectrum at Ka-band. The satellite functions as a relay between the aircraft and the ground stations. The ground stations function as interfaces to the existing terrestrial networks such as the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN). Various system tradeoffs are first examined to ensure optimized system parameters. High level performance specifications and design approaches are generated for the space, ground, and aeronautical elements in the system. Both technical and economical issues affecting the feasibility of the studied concept are addressed with the 1995 timeframe in mind.