Company

Aare AG is an independent aviation cybersecurity and special mission systems expert. We design, manufacture, market and maintain specialized airborne and land-based systems and components that tackle some of the most intricate challenges facing the aviation community today. Our in-depth technical and market knowledge gained over three decades allow us to tailor our solutions to our clients' unique requirements.

Expertise

The company was founded in 1991 to commercialize proprietary environmental technology, and that legacy continues to live on in today's special mission systems for environmental protection and pollution monitoring. In the late 1990s, responding to the need to securely communicate mission-critical information and to protect digital infrastructure, the groundwork was laid for our expertise in communications and information technology security. That expertise was subsequently expanded throughout the first two decades of the new millenium to also include digital signal processing, sensors, and optics. Today, the company can build on its proven long-term experience serving operators of special mission aircraft and aviation infrastructure to create innovative, reliable, and cost-effective products and services that offer lasting value to our clients. Throughout its history, Aare AG has always remained a 100% independent, privately owned company dedicated to meeting the specific needs of each of our clients, every time - whether in Switzerland or internationally, whether they be small commercial aircraft operators, airports, or large public safety and security organizations.

Location

Since the company's inception over 30 years ago, we have been based in Einigen, on the shores of Lake Thun and close to the Aare river, from which the company proudly got its name. Situated in the heart of Switzerland, our company is located only 15 minutes from Reichenbach Airfield (LSGR), and 30 minutes from Bern International Airport (LSZB).

Aare Technologie & Kommerz AG
Weekendweg 7
3646 Einigen
Switzerland

Tel +41 33 654 7777
Fax +41 33 654 7252
info@aaretech.ch

Airborne Systems

Working in close collaboration with partners holding EASA Part 21 J Design Organization Approvals and EASA Part 21 G Production Organization Approvals, we can offer airborne systems as well as complete special mission aircraft for civilian airborne surveillance and flight inspection tasks.

AeroFIS® Flight Inspection System

Covering selected markets, we are an authorized reseller of Aerodata, the world leader in flight inspection systems, for the AeroFIS fully automatic flight inspection system. Having been successfully deployed in over 50 countries worldwide, AeroFIS sets the standard in flight inspection by offering the capability to calibrate and validate all present-day NAVAIDs and flight procedures in a fully automatic fashion:

• ILS Category I, II and III with ILS and FAN markers
• Precision Approach Radar
• SSR with dedicated flight inspection transponder modes A, C, and S
• Terminal and en route VOR/DMEs, TACANs and NDBs
• VHF and UHF direction finding and communication systems
• Visual approach aids (VASI, PAPI)
• Airport SRE and PRM systems
• GPS-based precision and non-precision approaches
• ADS-B out data verification
• etc.

Retrofit options exist for all flight inspection systems around the world. AeroFIS offers a complete turnkey solution covering customized aircraft modification design, actual integration in the aircraft(s) of choice with full responsibility for the entire process including certification by EASA or FAA STC, as well as certification by the respective national civil aviation authority. Each system comes with training provided by experienced flight inspectors and pilots, customized maintenance plans, and guaranteed software update service.

Airborne Surveillance Systems

Combining our expertise in sensors, optics, systems, and communications security, we can combine multiple best-of-breed components including daylight and thermal camera subsystems, side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), lasers, microwave radiometers, antennas, programmable FPGAs, processing units, displays, and terrestrial and satellite communication subsystems to tailor airborne surveillance systems to the needs of each individual client. The tasks that these customized systems are capable of handling range from environmental and pollution monitoring to classical radar and RF monitoring to search and rescue (SAR) missions.

As an independent entity, we can assume a wide range of responsibilities from a purely advisory role to that of a supplier of either customized components or complete systems. Depending on the client's needs and preferences, we can identify suitable aircraft models, procure suitable new or pre-owned airframes on the global market, or convert a client's existing aircraft. Contact us to discuss your specific mission requirements with us!

Ground Systems

Our ground-based systems protect aviation infrastructure against airborne, land-based, and cyber threats. Their hardware and software design emphasizes performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness. We support the full product lifecycle from designing and manufacturing to operating and maintaining our systems for long periods of time.

Orthognom® Drone Detection and Neutralization System

Threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones for short, will continue to expand in nature and increase in volume in the coming years. Rogue drones disrupt flights and can pose a grave safety threat to aircraft and airports. Aare's Orthognom® system addresses these threats by identifying drones in or near protected airspace. Electronic countermeasures can then be taken to avoid collisions with manned aircraft.

Just like its historical namesake that protected Swiss airspace from the 1940s throughout the 1960s, the Orthognom® system is capable of precisely locating intruders, and take countermeasures to protect the designated area of operations. This is achieved by monitoring the radio spectrum for drone remote control links using state-of-the-art software-defined radios (SDRs) and exciter technologies. The system can detect approaching drones from more than 3km away, and has an effective neutralization range of 3km. It is capable of identifying the drone target direction on a sector-by-sector basis and neutralize the threat immediately upon detection in a fully automatic fashion.

• Fully automatic, highly accurate detection of multiple UAVs with no operator interaction required
• Automatic profile separation ensures that frequency-agile, short-time signals are separated to precisely determine how many drones are operating in the area of operations
• Directional jamming capability for precise neutralization of individual threats as well as omnidirectional jamming to counter swarm attacks
• No moving mechanical parts for scanning operations result in high reliability and cost-effectiveness, permitting economical deployment across multiple critical infrastructures

The Orthognom® system was designed to protect airports and other large infrastructure objects against commercial drones, however a compact version of the system with a reduced detection range for deployment onboard vehicles is also available. Likewise, multiple systems can be linked together, thus enabling the simultaneous protection of multiple critical infrastructures from a single control room.

Orthoskop Thermal Imaging System

Securing airport perimeters by traditional mechanical barriers, typically fences, and patrols quickly hits its limits when airports grow, perimeters become large, and weather becomes a factor. Infrared sensors, especially when coupled with an automated detection and warning system, greatly enhance airport security and allow for fast, effective responses to breaches. Our Orthoskop thermal imaging system provides just that and comes in two versions that allow local and wide-area detection, identification and tracking of intruders on airport premises and in other contexts where real-time ground surveillance is of critical importance - anytime, even in total darkness and in bad weather.

Orthoskop IDS is a fixed-installation perimeter intrusion detection system for long-range surveillance of large airports and other infrastructures:

• Pan/tilt, multi-sensor day and night camera subsystems with fully programmable scan patterns offering 640x480 pixels resolution for infrared and 752x582 pixels resolution for daylight CCTV
• Support for white hot, black hot, and color thermal camera operation modes
• Control and operation over RS-422 and RS-485 serial interfaces
• Line-of-sight (LOS) analysis software and situational awareness system

Orthoskop HS is a rugged hand-held day and night personal sight system supporting perimeter patrols and other ground surveillance missions. It combines the functionality of a thermal monocular with a daytime vision system multiplexed over the same display, allowing the detection of even single human intruders from more than 3km away:

• Night-time IR-based operation with the same 640x480 pixels sensor resolution as Orthoskop IDS
• Daytime operation with 20x optical zoom and up to 250x digital zoom

Aeroskop ADS-B Integrity Monitoring System

With FAA and EASA mandates for equipage of aircraft operating in controlled airspace in effect, Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is becoming a key component for supplementing or even replacing radar-based aircraft position reporting with satellite-derived GPS data for Air Traffic Control (ATC) purposes. While ADS-B greatly improves accuracy and brings valuable new features to ATC and aircraft operators alike, it remains susceptible to manipulation by hostile actors resulting in threats to ADS-B's integrity and availability.

Aare's Aeroskop ADS-B Integrity Monitoring System was designed to support ATC and public safety and security organizations in validating ADS-B messages and detect jamming and spoofing activity by malicious actors. Aeroskop relies on a combination of a network of distributed sensors and a central analysis and monitoring system. The sensors report via secure VPN connections to the central analysis and monitoring system, where redundant servers provide visualization, reporting and alerting functions. The system is multi-user capable, and different roles can be assigned to different tasks and geographical areas. Different configurations are available for a wide range of missions and organizations ranging from large ATC organizations all the way down to small airports.

• Request product information

Services

Training and Maintenance

All airborne and ground systems provided by Aare AG come with system user training included in the purchase price. Training is provided either in Switzerland or on the client's premises. Depending on the type of system, training is provided by experienced staff including OPS and IT security experts, flight inspectors, and pilots. On the system maintenance side, we take pride in supporting each system that we supply for many years, thereby protecting the investment of our clients in our equipment. We consequently offer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) tailored to meet the needs of each individual client. As our operations and geographical scope have widened, we have established authorized regional service hubs that can provide repair and preventive maintenance services in close geographical proximity to our clients.

In addition to product trainng, we also offer a range of advanced courses on aviation cybersecurity. These courses are designed to transfer in-depth knowledge from Aare’s experts to the client’s key personnel. Subjects covered in Aare’s training courses include general introductory topics like wireless communication standards used in aviation, cryptography, vulnerability analysis of complex systems, and layered defense concepts for aerospace systems as well as standard-oriented topics like software integrity assurance considerations for communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems according to the EUROCAE ED-109 standard and software considerations in airborne systems and equipment certification according to the EUROCAE ED-12C standard. The exact course syllabus is tailored to each client’s individual requirements and will be agreed between the client and Aare AG before the training takes place. Aare AG augments its training courses with a variety of support material, including practical demonstrations of attacks and countermeasures.

Aare AG will look after its course participants with meticulous care and attention to detail. Aare’s lecturers are seasoned professionals with in-depth expertise in their chosen fields who will provide individual guidance throughout the training. Aare does not only operate a computerized learning center, but also provides top-notch equipment for hands-on demonstrations. The Bernese Oberland region in which we are located provides the framework for a unique training experience.

Consulting Services

Providing specialized advice on aviation cybersecurity to key stakeholders including but not limited to airports, air traffic management organizations, civil aviation authorities, and aviation ground system manufacturers is an integral part of what we do. The nature of our work requires confidentiality and responsible action, resulting in each assignment being a unique opportunity to apply our team's extensive experience in ICT security and aviation systems. The scope of our consulting services includes:

• Vulnerability Assessments: Aare AG can support its clients in evaluations of their individual security landscape and products. This way, a client can tap Aare’s comprehensive ICT security expertise to obtain an impartial view of a the security properties of either a specific product or the entire organization’s ICT security. Unless agreed otherwise, Aare AG will base the evaluation on the General Vulnerability Assessment Model (AVA) defined in Common Criteria Version 3.1, and the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM) Version 3.1. For this purpose, Aare AG will define a security target / TOE in consultation with the client. Depending on the scope of the assignment, Aare AG can conduct its own tests according to CC 3.1 in preparation of full certification of the product and/or environment if desired.
• System and Process Security Design: Often as the result of a preceding vulnerability assessment, we can assist in the development of effective countermeasures, either in the context of the (re-)design of a specific product or component or in the context of process (re-)design. Combining knowledge from different domains, we have assisted in the design of ground-based and airborne systems as well as secure communication links connceting the two. We have also reviewed and re-modeled organizational identification and authentication processes involving electronic multi-factor authentication as well as traditional ID cards with embedded security elements.

If you are interested in Aare’s professional services, please contact our training and consulting team to discuss your requirements and how Aare AG can support you.

Contact

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• GitHub

Elements

i = 0;

while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
    print 'Iteration ' + i;
    deck.shuffle();
    i++;
}

print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';