Spangdahlem upgrades radar system

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  Members of the 52nd Fighter Wing officially re-opened the ground-controlled approach facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony July 1.

The facility closed in June to receive upgrades to the air traffic control radar system, replacing the aging radar based on 1980s technology with the state-of-the-art Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System.

The upgrade took more than three years of planning, coordinating and integrating the new STARS system into the existing facility.

"The STARS system has a much higher capacity than the old system," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ralph Miller, a New Albany, Miss. native from the 52nd Operations Support Squadron who spent much of his time in the past year making the upgrade possible.

The new system is entirely digital, unlike its analog predecessor. Combined with the constant digital output from the radar, the controllers have an enhanced sight picture and can provide greater detail to the aircraft landing and taking off.

"It is mostly transparent to the pilots we communicate with, but for our air traffic controllers, there is a major difference in quality of service they can provide to the customer," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nathan Iseminger, 52nd GCA chief controller from Hagerstown, Md.