The FAA awarded a 3-year contract to ARINC, Annapolis, Md., to provide the FAA with the VHF Extended Range Network (VERN), which supports air traffic control communications in the Gulf of Mexico. The VERN network includes two air/ground stations located on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and one at Key West, Fla., ARINC said. In combination with the FAA’s own coastal radio facilities, VERN coverage enables the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) to communicate with aircraft so that appropriate separation can be maintained over the Gulf of Mexico. The extended range and coverage of VERN ground stations is based on two factors — the unique radio wave signal propagation phenomena present in the Gulf of Mexico, known as ducting, and ARINC’s unique radio system design. VERN makes use of a special extended range VHF propagation technique originally engineered and developed by ARINC. ARINC said the VERN system has been proven to provide extended-range VHF Voice communications at distances of over 400 nautical miles, at an altitude of 18,000 feet. ARINC has operated the VERN air/ground stations and network infrastructure continuously since deploying them in 1998. For related news