HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar and Foreign Object Debris Radar

In the airport environment birds, flocks of birds and foreign object debris could cause serious damages to the aircrafts during flight/landing/taking off and definitely endanger the safety of aircraft personnel. Before the technological developments applied into this specific field, for the detection of the foreign objects and birds at the airports man power was used even though it has certain setbacks and  negative outcomes. For such a critical issue regarding the safety of lives, relying on human ability solely to detect the foreign objects issue would not be secure. In fact over time it turned out to be insufficient and caused many more accidents and costly delays  due to the fact that surveying such a large area of an airport was out of the limits of real people. By the time, along with the increase in usage of technology in every field, advanced solutions were also developed in order to keep up with safety requirements of the airports enforced by the regulatory aviation bodies and the relevant legislations.

HAVELSAN, as one of Türkiye’s technology leaders, also could not pose an indifferent stance to these developments and accordingly has adapted its capabilities by dwelling upon its strong know-how and experience in safety and security solutions. With its decades long experience in the simulation and training technologies, HAVELSAN has been provding its proven products and solutions for training of the pilots and aircraft personnel in flight simulators and for training of air traffic controllers in its atcTRsim simulator. Airport safety arrived as a new and essential dimension of HAVELSAN’s holistic systems and solutions for security and safety of aviation. Finally, products for detecting foreign object debris and birds in the airport environment, namely FODRAD- Foreign Object Debris Radar and Bird Detection Radar were added to HAVELSAN’s portfolio of smart products for security and safety of people.

Indeed, to build a safe environment for aerial vehicles and aerial personnel while taking off and/or landing and on the runways, HAVELSAN offers radars like Bird Detection Radar and FODRAD, Foreign Object Debris Radar. Birds and flocks of birds present great dangers for aerial vehicles and made air traffic challenging during the inbound/ outbound of air vehicles to/from the airport’s Recognized Critical Airspace. Bird Detection Radar is a system that detects, tracks and provides a warning when necessary. On the other hand, FODRAD is a crucial contributor to flight safety, keeping runways clear from foreign materials and making sure that any deformations are instantly detected and monitored. FODRAD detects even the smallest foreign object or deformation on a runway that could endanger aircraft, travelers and the airport.

HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar is based on advanced technological hardware and software that uses sophisticated algorithms to detect and track targets 24/7 over an area of a 40 km radius, and to calculate the safest times for scheduled flights.

Featuring a user-friendly interface, HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar displays technical, statistical and operational data on screens (3 x 24'') in the operation center, allowing the user to take the necessary precautions and arrangements. HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar consists of a horizontal scanning pulse radar in the S-Band and a vertical scanning Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar in the X-Band and these allow HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar to detect and track targets with high precision.

HAVELSAN Bird Detection Radar features a 3D volumetric detection/tracking mode and 2D detection/tracking with an S-Band Horizontal Radar (HR), and an analysis mode for narrow sectors with an X-Band vertical radar. It detects flying birds, flocks of birds and planes, providing range, elevation, direction, velocity and route information, thus supporting the prevention of accidents and hazards. It is easy to use and maintain due to its specially designed sensor campus and operation center.

HAVELSAN FODRAD is an mm-wave radar system that detects Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on the runway at airports, contributing greatly to airport and flight safety by sending audible/visual warnings to operators. It identifies FODs within 2 minutes and sends the relevant information to the operator. HAVELSAN FODRAD system minimizes human error through 24/7 automatic surveillance via an mm-wave radar and a day/night vision optical sensor for every 1000 m length of the runway. FODRAD is controlled and monitored from a single center. It shares the location and an image of FODs detected on the runway with the operator and provides a warning of the need for corrective actions.