ARKONA ( FüWES ) ARKONA ( ACCS ) – ( ) is an Air Command and Control System ( ACCS ) of the German Air Force . Definition . According to NATO terminology , ARKONA was an Air Situation Awareness / Recognized Air Picture ( RAP ) System of the former National People ’ s Army ( NVA ) operated by the Air Forces of the National People ' s Army . After the German reunification in 1990 , it was adapted to NATO standards , developed to an ACCS , and integrated to the Bundeswehr / German Air Force . Original NVA designation : " ARKONA - Automatisierte Radar Kontroll - und Navigationsanlage " History . The procurement product ARKONA was developed , introduced and operated by order of the Air Forces of the National People ' s Army Command . The overall responsibility was with the ACOS and Chief Command Posts and Automation ( de : Gefechtstände Automatisierung - GSA ) Major General Dr . G . Hiemann . It was dedicated exclusively to the East German Air Force ( East GAF ) and operated on Air Command and Control ( ACC ) Post level , according to NATO terminology Control and Reporting Centre ( CRC ) / Control and Reporting Post ( CRP ) . The system design , software development , – maintenance , and – change was mainly provided by east German soldiers / IT - engineers with education background of the Soviet Union ’ s Military Academy , S . M . Budjonny in St . Petersburg . According to its own understanding , with the final software release the NVA was equipped with a co - primary ACCS which was independent from the Russian system ALMAS at that time . As to Confidence and Availability ARKONA did have advantages in comparison to ALMAS . Remark : Original designation ( ru Soviet Army ) : " Алмаз — АСУ КП объединений и ЦКП Войск ПВО " Translation ( en ) : Automated Control System Division Command Post and Major Operating Centre Air Defence ARKONA advantages . In spite of some compatibility problems to the Integrated NATO Air Defense System , ARKONA did not have full backup capability as to weapons control and operations , the basic ideas have been worth to be preserved . The general positive assessment of the ARKONA IT - Architecture initiated the final decision to transfer ARKONA to the Bundeswehr . Take - over and utilisation in the Bundeswehr . After ARKONA was taken over by the Bundeswehr , the rework of the system documentation ( including the IT - Security Concept ) had to be provided as this is the case with any regular German procurement product . Subsequently , that particular product had to be upgraded to a full compatible and interoperable NATO ACCS . Since that time it has been embedded into the organisational structure of the German Air Force . In the time to come , the operational utilisation of ARKONA took plase mainly in stationary CRC , in deployable engagements , and by so - called third party users with the agreement of the responsible in - service support manager . Functionality today . ARKONA is a self - supporting System with interfaces to other IT - Architectures . System internal it receives TDL information ( e . g . Link 1 ) and generates distributes and displays system internal a RAP . During missions on any working position different systems of co - ordinates are displayable and " on - the - fly " changeable . " Bull ’ s – eye Control " is possible and " Vector Assistance " is available . Moreover , from different sensors with different data formats ARKONA is capable to receive , process , and display . The appropriate CRC operational scenario as well different missions exercise and training might be provided on the basis of the explicit working position mode . In any case the hardware can be maintained . Up to 2005 the processing of correlated Flight plan date was supported by ADMAR 2000 and in the time to come by CIMACT . Features . Remark : ARKONA processes the ASTERIX categories CAT001 , 002 , 034 and 048 , available via the civil DFS RADNAR . Hardware Software . ARKONA runes on COTS hardware which has to meet specific technical requirements . With the exemption of a small number of particular cases X86 - Class PCs are recommended . The data providing IT might be on COTS as well . The operating system is Microsoft . Software engineering , - maintenance , and - change is executed by the GAF C3 Systems Support Centre ( GAF C3 SSC ) in Erndtebrück . The previous advantages ( based on MS Windows and COTS hardware ) changed end of the 1990th more and more into the oboist . Windows became permanently more complex , the hardware configuration had to be changed more frequently , and last but not least the latent IT - security risks became unacceptable . In order to overcome these problems the German Improved Air Defence System ( GIADS ) was procured and introduced in 2004 . In - Service Support Management . The General Air Force Office ( de : Luftwaffenamt - LWA ) , later the GAF Material Command and finally the GAF Weapon Systems Command – WSC ( de : Waffensystemkommando der Luftwaffe – WaSysKdoLw ) have been in charge of the ARKONA In - Service Support Management ( ISSM ) since its take - over to the Bundeswehr in 1990 . Today this WSC provides the obsolescence management , the hardware and software configuration control and the software related instructions to the GAF C3 SSC . The in - service support manager certifies on request the utilisation of third party users . End of lifecycle utilisation . With the closure of the last ARKONA CRC – Brockzetel in December 2010 the stationary utilisation of this ACC System was frozen . For special cases , e . g . Deployable Air Situation Display and Interface Processor System ( DASDIPS ) , and as far as the logistic maintenance remains possible , ARKONA might be used continuously . This will be the case for third party users as well . Moreover , there might be requirement for selected features e . g . : Remark : The DASDIPS pool consists mainly of deployable hardware and software products operated by the GAF Tactical Command and Control Service ( TACCS / de : Einsatzführungsdienst der Luftwaffe – EinsFüDstLw ) . Some of these component are the ARKONA ACC System , the remaining terrestrial radio systems of the Aeronautical Mobile Service ( R - 863 , AMS East , original description „ Бекас P - 863M “ ) and the CSI ( CRC / SAM Interface ) System . DASDIPS is mainly dedicated to support limited operations ( e . g . to provide assistance to the Federal Police , exercises , etc . ) with the emphasis RAP display , interface functionality , and the improvement of the Air Situation Awareness . At present the successor product GIADS is operational in the stationary CRCs and in the Deployable CRC .