WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Chapter 12.

Ground Radar

Introduction In today’s Air Traffic Control systems, the role of radar is crucial in allowing
for the safe and efficient controlling of an ever-intensifying air traffic density. To provide for
the needs of this task the differing Air Traffic Control environments demand different
performance parameters from radar. The main types of ground radar can be summarised as
follows:

¾ Surveillance Radar

¾ Long range surveillance radar

¾ TMA surveillance radar
¾ Aerodrome surveillance radar

¾ Secondary surveillance radar (SSR) – discussed in Chapter 13

¾ Precision approach radar
¾ Surface movement radar
¾ Weather radar – a meteorological service

Long Range Surveillance Radar The radar has the following properties:

¾ A range capability of 200 NM to 300 NM

¾ An ability to penetrate intervening weather
¾ The ability to detect small targets out to maximum range
¾ Moderate target discrimination capability in range and bearing.

Using two radar systems generally fulfils these needs:

Primary Radar Wavelength of 50 cm

Pulse length 4 ms
PRF 270 PPS
Horizontal beamwidth 1.7°
Aerial rotation 5 RPM.

Secondary Radar This is provided as a complement to the primary radar,

improving the possibility of detecting targets at long ranges
and allowing for the identification of co-operating targets.

Terminal Surveillance Radar This radar provides separation between aircraft within the
terminal area during transit, approach and departure. It may be used to provide a radar
approach. The service is provided by primary radar with the following characteristics:

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¾ Ranges up to about 60 or 80 NM
¾ Ability to refresh the target information at short intervals
¾ Ability to penetrate intervening weather
¾ Good target discrimination properties
¾ Good accuracy.

The radar has the following properties:

¾ Wavelength of 25 cm
¾ Pulse length 3.9 ms
¾ PRF 350 PPS
¾ Beamwidth 1.2°
¾ Aerial rotation rate 8 RPM.

An SSR element is also normally used in the terminal surveillance radar environment.

Surveillance radar displays for long range and terminal radars are normally processed and
combined with the information from the primary radar. The superimposing of the SSR
information on the primary display shows the controller a complete situational picture of the
relevant airspace on an easily viewed screen.

Aerodrome Surveillance (Approach) Radar Where provided, the aerodrome surveillance

radar is normally a short-range (25 nm) primary radar which is capable of being used to
provide guidance during the initial, intermediate and even final approach phases of the flight.
As such it requires the following:

¾ Very accurate range and bearing

¾ Excellent target discrimination
¾ Rapid refreshing of the information.

The properties of the radar are:

¾ Wavelength 10-cm which allows a very short pulse length to be produced (pulse
length1 ms)
¾ PRF of 700 PPS
¾ Beamwidth 1º
¾ Aerial rotation rate increased to 15 RPM

The shorter pulse length and narrower beam width will improve both accuracy and target
discrimination. The increased speed of aerial rotation will allow for an increase in the rate of
target information renewal. This type of radar may be used to provide a “Surveillance Radar
Approach”.

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Range, Accuracy and Limitations of Surveillance Radar Surveillance Radar is
capable of providing coverage to ranges greater than 200 nm. However, both Primary and
Secondary elements are strictly “line of sight” so if an aircraft is below the radar horizon it will
not be detected.

If the aircraft is above the horizon other considerations have to be taken into consideration:

¾ The size of the aircraft

¾ The aircraft heading straight towards or away from the radar aerial
¾ If the aeroplane is made of glass reinforced plastic

Any of the above make the aircraft a poor target for primary radar. SSR provides information
which is not size or aspect related, but this depends on:

¾ The ground unit being equipped with an interrogator

¾ Your aeroplane being fitted with a transponder
¾ You using the transponder correctly.

The accuracy of Surveillance Radar is dependant on the type of unit used but will be
sufficiently effective to allow for a traffic separation of 5 miles and this may be reduced to 3
NM within a range of 40 NM of the radar aerial.

Surveillance Radar Procedures

En-Route Procedures are limited to those required for identification. This may involve:

¾ Carrying out turns as directed by the controller, or

¾ At the request of the controller identifying your position as a radial and range from
a VOR/DME beacon, or
¾ At the request of the controller identifying your position as a geographical point

In European regions, identification is more frequently carried out by the SSR element. In the
event of a failure of primary radar, the controller will introduce “non-radar” separation
standards using SSR to assist.

Approach Surveillance radar may be used to provide the pilot with approach guidance
including azimuth information and altitude advisories.

The success of such an approach is dependent upon:

¾ The skill of the controller

¾ The ability/willingness of the pilot to carry out the controller’s instructions.

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You must remember that this type of radar has no height finding capability so that all height
information is advisory and is the height you should be at the range and bearing that the
controller observes. You must also remember that if you do not have the runway in sight
when you reach Minimum Descent Height (MDH) you must not descend below this height.
When the aircraft reaches the Missed Approach Point (MAPt) a go-around must be
completed.

Precision Approach Radar (PAR) Many military airfields have PAR installations. These
are primary radar units that are designed to provide guidance during final approach to
landing.

The PAR consists of two elements:

¾ One providing azimuth and range information, and

¾ The other providing elevation/range information.

Each element utilises 3-cm wavelength (10 GHz) radar with high PRF and short pulse length
(less than 1ms). Both elements must be capable of providing detection to:

¾ Range of 9 NM

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¾ Elevation of 7°, and
¾ Azimuth sector of 20° (10° each side of the extended runway centre line).

Within this volume of airspace, the PAR must be capable of detecting a target with a radar
cross section of 15 m2 or greater. The maximum allowable error is ± 30 feet on azimuth and ±
20 feet in elevation.

The two elements are sited at the approach end of the runway to the side of the landing
threshold.

Azimuth The azimuth element scans a very narrow beam (0.6°) backwards
and forwards over a sector which covers the required minimum azimuth sector.

Elevation The elevation element has a narrow vertical beam width (0.6º) but a
broader azimuth beam width (up to 30º). It sector scans vertically from an elevation
of about 0.5º up to 8º.

Both scans are at a rapid rate in order to ensure that the target information is refreshed
quickly.

Target information is presented to the controller on two screens mounted one above the
other. The upper screen shows the range to the target and its position relative to the nominal
glide path. The lower screen shows the range and the position relative to the extended
runway centre line.

PAR Procedure A typical procedures is detailed below:

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Prior to commencing the approach, the controller will advise the pilot of the Aerodrome QFE.
All heights will be referred to this datum. Instructions are designed to help you on the glide
path and centre line and, in addition, the following calls will be made:

You must remember that it is the pilot’s responsibility to ensure that the runway is in sight
before DH. If the runway is not in sight at DH a missed approach procedure must be initiated.

Airfield Surface Movement Indicator (ASMI) This is a highly specialised primary radar unit
that is designed to assist controllers in maintaining safe separation between aircraft and
vehicles on the ground and to monitor all ground movements. The maximum range is
approximately 2.5 nm

It requires only short range but must be capable of:

¾ Very low minimum range

¾ 360° cover
¾ Very high level of accuracy
¾ Excellent target discrimination.

For some time it was considered necessary to use a radar operating in the “Q” band (35000
MHz) as this provided:

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¾ A very narrow beam width with a small aerial

¾ Excellent bearing discrimination

Modern signal processing techniques have led to equivalent definition being achieved with a
cheaper “X” band (10 000 MHz) radar and this is now the favoured option.

The following are the typical specifications for an ASMI:

¾ Frequency 10 000 MHz

¾ PRF 15 000 PPS
¾ Pulse length 0.05 µs
¾ Beam width 0.4°
¾ Aerial rotation 75 RPM

A typical ASMI picture is shown below.

Weather Radar The weather radar found at an airfield is not an ATC radar but one for
the use of the meteorological services used to supplement their forecast information.

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