New radar provides enhanced air traffic surveillance around Melbourne

Located on Gellibrand Hill just outside the airport perimeter, the Mode S radar replaces a 15-year-old system and significantly enhances the ability of air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft in all weather conditions. The radar is the second to be commissioned as part of Airservices national $80 million Australian Mode S Terminal Area Radar (AMSTAR) upgrade project. Airservices General Manager Technology and Asset Services, Alastair Hodgson, said the project represented a major leap forward for air traffic surveillance in Australian skies. Mode S technology delivers significant benefits to Airservices and the aviation industry, including higher rates of operational availability, the quality and quantity of the data received, and less frequent maintenance requirements, Mr Hodgson said. The new equipment has an improved solid state primary radar with a 60nm range. It also incorporates a Mode S (selective) capable Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar with a range of up to 256nm. This technology allows selective interrogation of individual aircraft and offers the ability to receive Down-linked Aircraft Parameter (DAP) data. It also limits interference in the 1030/1090MHz range of the radio frequency spectrum. Airservices is now working to deploy Mode S systems at a further seven sites across Australia. A new radar system is expected to be commissioned in Darwin by the end of this year. Work is projected to start on upgrades to Sydney and Adelaide terminal area radars in early 2011. The first system was commissioned at Mt Sommerville which provides surveillance on Queenslands Gold Coast.