Airport surveillance radar
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An airport surveillance radar (ASR) is a radar system used at airports to detect and display the position of aircraft in the terminal area.
[edit] Digital Airport Surveillance Radar
The Digital Airport Surveillance Radar (DASR) is a new terminal air traffic control radar system that replaces current analog systems with new digital technology. The United States Air Force Electronics Systems Center, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and the US Navy are in the process of procuring DASR systems to upgrade existing radar facilities for US Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian airfields. The DASR system detects aircraft position and weather conditions in the vicinity of civilian and military airfields. The Civilian nomenclature for this radar is the ASR-11. The ASR-11 will replace existing ASR-7, ASR-8, and ASR-9 models. The military nomenclature for the radar is the AN/GPN-30. The older radars, some up to 20 years old, are being replaced to improve reliability, provide additional weather data, reduce maintenance cost, improve performance, and provide digital data to new digital automation systems for presentation on air traffic controller displays.[1]
[edit] Display systems
ASR data is displayed on Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) display consoles in control towers and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) rooms, usually located at airports. These are being replaced with STARS.
The Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) is a joint Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) program to replace Automated Radar Terminal Systems (ARTS) and other capacity-constrained, older technology systems at 172 FAA and up to 199 DoD terminal radar approach control facilities and associated towers.
STARS will be used by controllers to provide air traffic control (ATC) services to aircraft in terminal areas. Typical terminal area ATC services are defined as the area around airports where departing and arriving traffic are served. Functions include aircraft separation, weather advisories, and lower level control of air traffic. The system is designed to accommodate air traffic growth and the introduction of new automation functions which will improve the safety and efficiency of the US National Airspace System (NAS) as the legacy systems are replaced.[2]
