Boeing receives NATA accreditation

Boeing Defence Australia has become the first company in the Southern Hemisphere with the authority to test medium-sized military and commercial aircraft, and a range of other military equipment and commercial platforms, for electromagnetic environmental effects (E3).

National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) Australia chief executive Alan Patterson presented the accreditation certificate to John Duddy, managing director and vice-president of Boeing Defence.

NATA has accredited Boeing to test aircraft and other platforms that emit on frequencies between 4 and 400 MHz, such as the C-130 Hercules military transport or the next-generation 737 passenger carrier, at its E3 facility at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley, Queensland, and at mobile test sites.

The purpose of E3 testing is to measure and provide empirical results regarding an aircraft’s electromagnetic susceptibility to certain frequencies, which can affect flight-critical and other systems within the aircraft.

Boeing will test users' aircraft in Australia at its accredited facility at RAAF Base Amberley, or by sending Boeing engineers and equipment to user sites.

The tests are completed using three software programs developed and written in house by Boeing’s E3 team. These programs underwent a complete document, software and technical review to achieve authorisation, including a five-day site assessment in October with NATA officials and observers from Australia’s director general of Technical Airworthiness, Defence, Science and Technology Organisation and Land Engineering Agency.