Radar modernization improves capabilities, saves money

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chase Hedrick
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  After more than 3 years of coordination, installation and testing, two new air traffic control systems were activated Aug. 2 as part of a Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration project to update terminal area radars here.

Air traffic control systems are used to safely coordinate the movement of aircraft and prevent mid-air collisions or other possibly fatal incidents. These tools require many personnel to maintain and operate them, and all involved are reaping the benefits of the upgraded systems.

The Digital Airport Surveillance Radar AN/GPN-30 and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System are expected to improve airspace control operations, decrease maintenance costs and save money, said Staff Sgt. Michael Williams, 39th Communications Squadron ground radar technician.

"This update improves reliability, provides additional weather data, reduces maintenance labor and cost, all while improving performance," he said. "It also provides data to new digital automation systems for presentation on air traffic controller displays."

The consolidated systems replaced five pieces of legacy equipment originally designed in the '50s and '60s according to Williams.

"Both pieces of equipment are a lot less labor intensive than the old equipment during our Preventative Maintenance Inspections," he said. "There is a lot of built-in test equipment, so it does a lot of the fault finding and troubleshooting for us."

While the ground radar technicians are benefiting from DASR and STARS, Incirlik AB air traffic control facilities have been enjoying the systems from their end, said Senior Airman Corey Kwiatkowski, 39th Operations Squadron air traffic controller.

"The new systems are great," he said. "It's easier to change settings such as what maps we're using, or call up new functions such as being able to see the distance between two aircraft with the click of two buttons."

Air traffic controllers can now spend less time changing settings and more time controlling, he said. New features such as detecting unsafe proximity between aircraft and simultaneous viewing of up to six levels of weather will also save taxpayer dollars, Kwiatkowski added.

"Because the interface is more expeditious, we can direct aircraft to their requested altitude and destination faster so pilots use less fuel to get there," he said.

Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Gibson, 39th OS superintendent and chief controller added that the supplemental information shown by the STARS system will not only decrease costs, but the improved flight safety it offers could save lives.

"The new system can provide so much more information, like where the aircraft will be at a specific time. It can suggest headings towards a point or help them intercept and join up with other aircraft," said Gibson. "Additionally, the new system has the capability of displaying more accurate weather information which will help us vector aircraft around severe weather."

The benefits of safety, improved performance and long term savings from this new system will serve the U.S. Armed Forces and American taxpayers for years to come, said Lt. Col. James Skelton, 39th Communications Squadron commander.

"These systems are a prime example of how replacing aged systems during these financially constrained times can improve capabilities now while saving money over the long term," he said. "It also illustrates the importance of modernization championed by our Chief of Staff."