Runway Surveillance

For many years radar has been used in airports to monitor the movement of aircraft on the ground. These systems usually consist of a single large radar mounted on a tower that provides coverage of the whole airfield. Unfortunately this approach can leave large areas uncovered as buildings and other structures will shadow the radar signal. The location of the radar tower is also constrained by airport regulations due to its height.

The relatively low cost and compact size of Navtech radar systems permits the installation of several units throughout the airfield. Thus enabling complete coverage of all areas of the airfield whilst avoiding shadowing from buildings or other structures.

.77GHz - 1 degree sensor

Typically a number of millimetre wave sensors would be deployed, depending on the configuration and size of the airport. In the event that a sensor were to fail, the remaining systems can be left online in order to provide partial coverage. These remaining sensors may perform adequately for operational requirements if enough sensor overlap has been incorporated into the layout.

By using multiple Navtech sensors all areas of the airfield can be covered, and since the sensors are mounted close to the ground there is no need for an expensive tower installation. The high bandwidth Ethernet interface also means that all the raw radar data is available to a controllers' display console.

The high resolution and sensitivity of Navtech's millimetre wave radar, even in adverse weather conditions, means that the radar could be used in a dual role. The primary role would be to provide surface movement information. A secondary role would be to monitor the runway for debris. Drinks cans, bolts and other foreign material can cause tremendous problems for airport operations, occasionally with fatal consequences. The same radar system could also be used for security purposes as vehicles and people are easily detected.

Please click on the Surface Movement and Control tab at the top left of this page to download a data sheet.