The service life of existing equipment when the program started had been exceeded, they were outworn and obsolete ('60-'80s generation), not reliable, too costly for still maintaining them into service, without spares and consumables.
An important disadvantage was that they were not fully compatible with civil aviation and NATO air forces and did not meet NATO standards and ICAO regulations, operating within frequency bands which international frequency planning and coordination authorities do not assign for air navigation. The ground navigation aids system is an infrastructure element essential to provide protection of combat missions, training flights over airfields for one or two landing directions and includes:
- approach control systems (VOR, DME, NDB);
- instrumental approach systems (ILS, for the future DGPS);
- landing systems (PAR, SRE şi SSR/IFF);
- visual landing systems;
- ground-to-air stations.
Introduction into service of new equipment will eliminate all these shortfalls and ensure the integration into NATO system and meeting ICAO regulations.
Major equipment acquired is as follows:
- approach control system GCA-2000;
- instrumental landing systems ILS;
- VOR/DME systems;
- VHF/UHF ground-to-air secured and frequency hopping stations;
- airfield beacons.