First Russian MLAT To Be Deployed In Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg

The first system of multi-sensor surveillance “Almanac” MLAT, based on purely Russian technologies and fully compliant with standards of EUROCAE and ICAO, will be deployed in Pulkovo Airport (LED). The project is being implemented within the framework of federal program "Modernization of the Single Air Traffic Management System of the Russian Federation (2009-2020)" approved by the Russian Government. The customer is the State ATM Corporation (Goskorporatsia).

The first Russian MLAT is designed to detect aircrafts and helicopters equipped with A / C / S / ADS-B 1090 ES mode transponders, ground vehicles, and other objects equipped with ADS-B 1090ES transponders, in the approach zone, on the landing line and the working area of the aerodrome (maneuvering areas and approach zones, runways, taxiways and parking places of aircraft) by the method of multilateration.

The project provides for the installation of transceiving stations that will not only cover the area of Pulkovo airport, but in the future will be able to provide surveillance as a part of the wide-area modification (WAM) of the “Almanac” MLAT system. The system conducts permanent monitoring, receiving and processing information every second of objects equipped with RBS and S mode transponders and getting squitters of targets equipped with automatic dependent surveillance equipment ADS-B 1090 ES. The obtained data includes such information as barometric altitude, target’s identification number, special identification signals (Sign or SPI), alarms, etc.

The transmission capacity of the “Almanac” MLAT system at any ratio of the number of observed objects operating in the ATS, RBS, Mode S and ADS-B is more than 250 units. In the coverage area, “Almanac” can provide monitoring both at the aerodrome, low altitudes, and at an altitude of up to 20 km, while simultaneously keeping in the observation field up to 1000 targets.

The airport of Saint Petersburg is the first Russian hub implementing the new system. Previously, in the end of 2016 the certification procedure of the “Almanac” MLAT system was successfully completed in Pulkovo.