Federal Aviation Administration

ATO Advanced Technology Development and Prototyping Group

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  • |  Updated: 11:09 am ET April 29, 2009

Low Cost Ground Surveillance (LCGS)

Description

Today the National Airspace System (NAS) provides minimal surface surveillance at small- to medium-sized airports. The out-the-window view of the air traffic controller and voice communication with pilots are the primary means of avoiding conflicts and maintaining operational capacity and safety. If visibility is reduced due to weather or other environmental conditions, then capacity and safety may be severely restricted without some means of surface surveillance. The LCGS concept provides scalable and adaptable coverage from user-specified regions to an entire airport movement area.  LCGS will serve in an advisory capacity providing the air traffic controller with surface surveillance information to reduce the risk of ground traffic incidents, incursions, or accidents.

Prototype evaluations of two candidate systems at Spokane International Airport revealed that surface movement radar (SMR) provided the most cost effective LCGS solution. To date, two contracts have been awarded for pilot sites utilizing SMRs.  Upon completion of pilot site evaluations, and additional investment analysis activities, one or more LCGS systems may be selected for NAS-wide deployment at up to thirty locations.

Pilot site evaluations will also explore LCGS capability to provide an infrastructure upon which additional runway safety applications, such as Runway Status Lights (RWSL), Final Approach Runway Occupancy Signal (FAROS), and Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) can be applied.


The locations for which LCGS systems have been selected to be installed are:

  • Spokane (GEG) 1
  • Manchester (MHT) 2
  • San Jose (SJC) 3
  • Reno/Tahoe (RNO)
  • Palm Beach (PBI)
  • Long Beach (LGB)
  1. Prototype system installed by Northrop Grumman / ParkAir
  2. Test site contract awarded to Thales ATM - February 2009
  3. Test site contract awarded to SRA nternational - April 2009

Flight Plan Goal: Increased Safety

  • FAA Objective 3: Reduce the risk of runway incursions
    • Performance Target: By FY2010, limit category A and B (most serious) runway incursions to a rate of no more than 0.450 per million operations, and maintain or improve through FY 2011.

SMP Goal: Pathway 1: Achieve operational excellence

  • Objective 1.3: Ensure safety and aircraft separation
  • Metric 1.3a: Complete initial investment readiness decision for Low Cost Ground Surveillance (LCGS) by June 2009