Apr 13 2010
The Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) of the Philadelphia-based Raytheon Company (RTN) has emerged as the first facility of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to incorporate the aircraft surveillance unit with the fused Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast track data.
Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar
The Department of Defense and the FAA have jointly procured the STARS. The STARS was designed for replacing older, capacity-limited radar approach facilities as well as the towers. Raytheon has focused on innovation for 88 years and offers new-generation electronics, mission systems integration, besides other capabilities related to the sensing domain. The company provides command, control, communications and intelligence solutions and a wide range of services for mission support.
The STARS provides important operational information related to weather conditions, aircraft position, and flight data for air traffic controllers. The ADS-B has facilitated the switch over to the satellite-enabled air traffic control (ATC) from the earlier ground-based ATC. The ADS-B forms the basic core of the Next Generation Air Transportation System of the FAA.
Surveillance reports are integrated from many sensors including multi-lateration ground stations, ADS-B, and customary radars in one track through Fusion. The air traffic controllers are able to receive enhanced aircraft velocity and position estimates by the fused track. This capability will enable the expansion of the air space for safely bringing down the aircraft separation from 5 to 3 miles.
The Raytheon Network Centric Systems’ vice president of Command and Control Systems, Andy Zogg, informed that his company’s established data fusion tracker is helping the air traffic controllers to leverage the additional efficiency and safety benefits quickly.