High-accuracy surveillance of 25,000miles of airspace

Citation

(2007), "High-accuracy surveillance of 25,000miles of airspace", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779dab.022

High-accuracy surveillance of 25,000miles of airspace

High-accuracy surveillance of 25,000miles² of airspace

NATS, formerly the UK's National Air Traffic Services, has awarded Sensis Corporation a contract for multistatic dependent surveillance (MDS) for wide area multilateration surveillance in the north sea. NATS provides air traffic services for helicopters supporting the oil and gas operations in the North Sea. Sensis MDS will enable surveillance and tracking of helicopter traffic to and from oil platforms from close to the helicopter deck up to 10,000ft for 25,000miles² of airspace off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland.

“Aberdeen air traffic control handles more than 25,000 helicopter flights per year,” said Graeme Henderson, Manager of Surveillance and Display Systems for NATS. “A large part of the airspace is beyond radar coverage, and a state of the art solution is required to solve this problem. The use of Sensis MDS will enhance the safety and efficiency of helicopter operations in this harsh environment.”

Sensis MDS will locate and identify helicopters using sensors placed on oil platforms in deep water in the North Sea. With precision equal to or better than traditional secondary surveillance radars, consistent surveillance performance regardless of weather conditions and the capability for higher update rates, Sensis MDS provides significant benefits.

“Multilateration has demonstrated that it is a less expensive yet more effective solution than traditional radar,” said Marc Viggiano, President of Sensis Air Traffic Systems. “The system features a low- maintenance design along with the ability to present a clear surveillance picture in any environment. Further, it supports new and emerging technologies such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast.”