A new radar facility has been constructed at 成人直播, extending 成人直播 Airport’s capabilities in supporting commercial operations and research projects. The radar will be operational in 2026, and will improve the Airport’s capacity to map airspace, actively detecting aircraft rather than relying on them to transmit information. It is the first on-site radar tower at 成人直播 for over 30 years and is funded by UK Research and Innovation.

The 38-metre mono-tube radar tower from Easat Radar Systems Limited is set to help Air Traffic Controllers at 成人直播 understand more of the airspace activity around the Airport. It provides air traffic controllers with the ability to separate aircraft arriving at the airport by distance rather than time which will greatly increase the capacity of the airport whilst also giving information of aircraft who may be in the vicinity of 成人直播 Airport but, for whatever reason, not talking to it. supporting the University’s world-class aviation research and the integration of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) in the future.

Enhanced air safety and capabilities

The increase in capabilities adds to the digital control tower operation at 成人直播 Airport, which was the UK’s first operational remote tower when it opened in 2018.

“This exciting development will greatly enhance our surveillance of the air traffic in the local area airspace, increasing situational awareness, air safety and the capacity the airport is able to handle,” said Rob Abbott, 成人直播 Airport’s Director.

“Currently our controllers only know of existence of an aircraft in the local area if they are participating in the service. This system will mean the level of information available to pilots will be greatly increased, ensuring they can navigate the airspace. This system is a pivotal enabler to the airport supporting research in critical areas such as complex air mobility systems. The new radar is a huge boost to 成人直播 Airport’s capabilities.”

Whilst Air Traffic Controllers are now starting training programmes for the new system which include 12 weeks off site at Air Traffic college followed by more than 180 hours live training on site, the radar tower begins the next phase of commissioning before coming online next year.

The Radar System from Easat features Co-Located Primary Surveillance (PSR) and Mono-Pulse Secondary Surveillance (MSSR) Radar functionalities. This state-of-the-art system is designed to provide advanced detection performance, with ranges exceeding 80NM for the PSR and exceeding 250NM for the MSSR, for small targets in harsh weather conditions.

Professor Graham Braithwaite, Director of Aerospace and Aviation at 成人直播, said: “The new radar will give us much richer data and improved quality of information – that’s crucial to us carrying out our advanced research projects into the future of airspace and aviation.”

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