Lightweight CASSIDIAN transponder is certified for both military and civil applications

At 2.8 kilograms, the LTR 400 is currently the smallest and lightest transponder worldwide, which can be used without any restrictions for both civilian air traffic control and military applications to identify friendly units. This unit operates to the latest civilian air traffic control standard, Mode S Enhanced Surveillance. Together with the encryption and decryption computers from Cassidian, it can also be used in all currently widespread military modes. Due to its low weight, the LTR 400-A is particularly suitable for use on board helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. This equipment has already been ordered to equip Eurocopters EC 635 helicopter.

Transponders are a crucial element to ensure safety in air traffic. As part of air traffic control, interrogators which are also called secondary radars emit signals to request flight data from individual aircraft, e.g. on their origin, course or speed. These requests are then automatically answered by transponders located on board the approaching aircraft, so that the position of each individual aircraft can always be reliably identified. Military aircraft also respond to these non-military requests. They even transmit additional data in an encrypted mode, allowing all aircraft to be unmistakably identified, e.g. during military operations, thus preventing inadvertent friendly attacks. For this reason, military aircraft require transponders with both civil and military functions.

Cassidian has wide experience in the field of military and civil air traffic control. Its Cassidian Electronics business unit has already supplied numerous military identification systems for air, naval and ground applications to a number of armed forces, e.g. in Germany, France, Finland and Australia. For civil air traffic control, Cassidians identification systems are used in countries such as Portugal and the Philippines.