Raytheon, a provider of advanced electronics, communications, intelligence systems, mission systems integration and other support services in sensing, has announced that the U.S. Navy has acquired two new digital airport surveillance radars for its bases in Quantico, Virginia, and in New River, North Carolina.
The acquisitions are part of the U.S. Navy’s efforts to upgrade its analog air traffic control radars, with advanced, digital versions. Raytheon’s digital airport surveillance radar (DASR) ASR-11 is a fully digital radar. Presently, the DASR has been installed all over the globe in more than 130 sites. This number is expected to increase to 150 sites.
The Raytheon ASR-11 provides a radar coverage of 60 miles for primary surveillance and radar coverage of 120 miles for secondary surveillance. It enables an improved weather display and superior aircraft detection for air traffic controllers. The company is manufacturing the secondary radar in the UK and in the US, and the primary radar in Canada.
The U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) Modernization Program is an endeavor to replace analog radars with digital radars. Legacy air traffic control systems are being replaced with state-of-the-art digital systems. The Federal Aviation Administration has changed its standards and guidelines, and the Navy requires modern digital technology for upgrading its terminal radar approach controls to meet the guidelines.
Recently, Raytheon had launched a mobile air traffic control system, and the digital radar is a critical part of the system.
Source: http://www.raytheon.com/