ADS-B stands for which of the following?

• A. Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast
• B. Airspace Data Service Broadcast
• C. Automatic Differential Surveillance Broadcast
• D. Aeronautical Data Service Broadcast

Answer: (A)

ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast. The four parts describe how it works: Automatic means the data is transmitted without pilot action; Dependent means the position and other data come from the aircraft’s on-board navigation system (such as GPS); Surveillance indicates its purpose is to support air traffic surveillance; Broadcast means the information is transmitted publicly to ATC and other equipped aircraft. This combination captures the essence of the system, which is to automatically broadcast position-derived data for surveillance purposes. The other phrases don’t fit because they don’t describe a system that transmits aircraft-position information for surveillance.