Air Transport

A surface movement radar system (SMRS) installed by the UK's Nottingham East Midlands airport is being offered in a higher-resolution form that can detect small pieces of debris on runways and act as a security monitor for airport perimeters, according to the UK Defence Diversification Agency. The millimetre-wave (MMW) radar used in the system was developed from anti-missile technology, the DDA says.

The DDA has worked with research company Qinetiq and Navtech Electronics to produce the SMRS, which consists of a series of low-cost sensors placed as required around the airfield to eliminate blind spots. The Nottingham East Midlands system has four sensors and the airport is pleased with its performance, but Qinetiq says that if higher resolution, more sensors or an upgrade are required, it is already working on them.

With airports trying to maximise runway use, conventional surface debris checks are becoming more difficult and they are unreliable in poor visibility, Qinetiq says. The system can see debris "down to the size of a drinks' can", says Qinetiq radar imaging business group manager Alec Deadman. The company says the July 2000 Air France Concorde crash near Paris was caused by a piece of debris that could have been seen by the MMW radar system.