U.K. air navigation service provider NATS has commissioned and accepted into operational service Saab Sensis’ Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) system at Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
The WAM system provides NATS’ air traffic controllers with the precise surveillance needed for separation of flights arriving and departing from EDI. NATS installed and validated the WAM and transitioned it to service as the first operational use of WAM surveillance at a U.K. airport.
At Edinburgh, Saab Sensis WAM is replacing Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR). The Saab Sensis system is providing surveillance of commercial, general aviation and helicopter traffic to a range of 60 nautical miles from the airport. NATS controllers at Edinburgh are using the WAM surveillance to provide a separation service to aircraft within their Terminal Maneuvering Area.
“WAM has effectively replaced MSSR as the terminal area surveillance source for aircraft separation at this busy airport,” said Iain Harris, Director, NATS Engineering. “This technology is a more flexible long-term solution that is more accurate and suitable for this operational requirement than a traditional MSSR.”