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Thales Unveils TRAC SIGMA Radar for Air Traffic Control
BUCHAREST — May 17, 2024 — The recently unveiled TRAC SIGMA radar by Thales promises to transform air traffic control. This multi-mission primary surveillance radar is designed to enhance both civil and military operations, offering enhanced target discrimination and advanced features.The new radar system, benefiting from Thales’s expertise, addresses the critical need for improved airspace management. with that in mind, read on to discover more about this essential innovation.
Thales Unveils TRAC SIGMA Radar: revolutionizing Air Traffic Control
Published: October 26,2023
Navigating Congested Skies: A New Era in Air Traffic Management
As air traffic continues to surge, the need for advanced surveillance technology becomes increasingly critical. Thales, a global leader in air traffic control (ATC) solutions, has introduced the TRAC SIGMA, a multi-mission primary surveillance radar designed to enhance both civil and military air traffic control operations. With over 1,200 ATC radars installed in more than 100 countries, Thales brings decades of expertise to this latest innovation.
Did you know?
The international Civil Aviation association (ICAO) sets global standards for air navigation, including recommendations for minimum aircraft separation. The TRAC SIGMA is designed to help air traffic controllers meet these stringent requirements.
Key Features and Benefits of TRAC SIGMA
The TRAC SIGMA radar offers a range of features designed to improve air traffic management in increasingly complex airspace. Here’s a breakdown of its key capabilities:
- Simultaneous Approach and Long-Range Surveillance: The TRAC SIGMA provides thorough air surveillance for both approach and long-range operations, catering to civil and military ATC needs.
- Enhanced Target Discrimination: In congested airspace, the ability to accurately identify and track small aircraft is paramount. The TRAC SIGMA is uniquely capable of discriminating small aircraft at an extended range of 300 kilometers. this ensures the critical 3 nautical mile (NM) distance separation is maintained across the entire airspace, not just during final approach.
- Advanced Technology: Inheriting technology from the TRAC family, the TRAC SIGMA offers higher availability, resistance to jamming and radar interferences, extended coverage, improved discrimination and accuracy, as well as full 3D air picture ensuring smoother coordination between Civil and Military missions.
Addressing the Challenges of Modern Airspace
The increasing density of air traffic presents significant challenges for air traffic controllers. Military aircraft operating at varying altitudes and the need to maintain safe separation distances are critical concerns. The TRAC SIGMA addresses these challenges by optimizing the minimum horizontal separation between aircraft, ensuring compliance with ICAO recommendations.
Pro Tip
Maintaining a 3NM separation between aircraft is crucial for preventing mid-air collisions and ensuring the safety of passengers and crew. Advanced radar systems like the TRAC SIGMA play a vital role in achieving this.
Technical Superiority and Operational Efficiency
The TRAC SIGMA leverages the latest digital technologies to deliver outstanding performance and enhanced detection capabilities. As the newest addition to Thales’s TRAC Primary Surveillance Radar family, it offers unmatched discrimination of small aircraft at high and low altitudes, as well as at long distances. Its design incorporates full redundancy and hot-swap component replacement, ensuring high availability and reliability. Furthermore, the 2-in-1 radar design optimizes infrastructure and resources, improving life-cycle costs.
Expert Perspective
According to Eric Huber, Vice President Surface Radars, Thales, With over 50 years’ experience in this field, Thales is continuously investing to lead the latest innovations in the Air Traffic Control radar market, helping ensure safer skies. TRAC SIGMA offers a single sensor for simultaneous approach and long-range surveillance supporting all air traffic control missions, and enables ATCOs to meet the challenges related to optimizing an increasingly congested airspace.
