London Heathrow has invested in a state of the art radar system to further improve safety by continuously sweeping its runways for foreign objects and debris (FOD). Supplied by QinetiQ, the Tarsier system is already being used to detect FOD on the southern runway at Heathrow following a successful operational trial. Two radars scan the 3,658 meter runway area 24 hours a day, locating objects that could be drawn into engines or damage aircraft systems. The contract also includes a further enhancement of the Tarsier system through the use of high specification day/night cameras that will allow the remote visual confirmation of detected debris. Colin Wood, the airport’s airside operations director says "Tarsier is a proven technological solution to the problem of FOD and will assist our operations team in carrying out regular visual runway inspections by acting as an additional pair of eyes. Tarsier also has the additional benefit of enabling Heathrow to deliver an improved service to the 68 million passengers who use the airport each year, by minimizing delays caused by FOD." The permanent installation of Tarsier at Heathrow is part of BAA's drive to maximize use of existing runways and drive down delays. Phil McLachlan, managing director of QinetiQ Airport Technologies says “it is an added bonus for us that technology developed in the UK is now fully operational at the country's flagship airport."