EADS ATC Radars Ensure Safety of Commercial and Military Aircraft Worldwide

• 200th Secondary Surveillance Radar delivered to Lockheed Martin

-- Military Identification System avoids Attacks on own Forces

(April 1, 2010) -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) has proven its position as one of the leading air traffic control (ATC) and military identification providers worldwide.

In a ceremony at its Munich factory, Defence Electronics, an integrated activity of DS, celebrated the upcoming hand over of the 200th air traffic control and identification system MSSR 2000 I (MSSR = Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar) to its most recent customer, Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems business. Lockheed Martin uses the MSSR 2000 I as a subsystem to its AN/FPS-117 long range surveillance radar. MSSR 2000 I is the world's only ATC radar system that can be used for both military and civil applications. With new and demanding identification modes, such as Mode-5 and Mode-S, being introduced worldwide, air traffic control represents a rapidly growing global market. In total, DS has almost 250 systems in 20 nations under contract.

"Providing latest technology identification systems like MSSR 2000 I improves situational awareness for civil ATC authorities as well as military forces," explains Bernd Wenzler, CEO of Defence Electronics. "This increases the safety of our soldiers and airline passengers alike."

In a civil ATC mission, MSSR 2000 I sends out interrogatory signals to all the aircraft traversing its sector. These signals are answered automatically by so-called transponders onboard the aircraft conveying flight data such as position, speed or destination. Thus, the radar provides a realtime overview of aircraft positions which results in a significant improvement in air traffic control and in the efficient use of air space. The MSSR 2000 I is the first secondary radar of its type that uses a combination of active Mode S queries and passive ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) responses.

In military identification-friend-or-foe (IFF), MSSR 2000 I works according to similar question-and-answer procedures in order to quickly distinguish hostile from friendly incoming aircraft and to alleviate the commander's decision whether to engage the aircraft or not. Different from hitherto utilized systems, MSSR 2000 I employs sophisticated encryption techniques to avoid hostile signal manipulation.

Source : European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (Paris: EAD.PA)