 |
| A SCANTER radar site in Denmark. Photo: Terma |
[Avionics Today 10-10-2014] NATS has released a statement detailing a single radar that can provide traditional airport surveillance functions and mitigate against the effects of wind turbines. NATS reports that the technology may be a step closer to deployment, following trials conducted through 2014.
Between January and March of this year, the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) along with the radar manufacturer, Terma, trialed the use of Terma’s SCANTER system to assess its performance as an extended range wind turbine mitigation system. Initial results indicate that the system is both capable of mitigating the effects of wind turbines and detecting aircraft through wind farm locations, even at ranges beyond 40 nautical miles (nm).
Following this successful initial trial, the radar was evaluated during August by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as part of its Spectrum Release Program. The results confirmed that the system is capable of detecting even small targets beyond 40 nm and with good low-level coverage. Based upon these initial positive results, further testing is expected with the CAA moving forward.