First Multilateration System In Australia To Separate Aircraft In Both En Route And Terminal Airspace

The Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) system developed by Sensis Corporation has passed its safety case by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and is now operational in airspace covering Tasmania, Australia. The system uses both multilateration and Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) to provide Airservices Australia with enhanced en route surveillance of air traffic across the island and down to the surface at Hobart and Launceston Airports. Sensis WAM's precise surveillance of aircraft enables air traffic controllers to implement five nautical miles of aircraft separation for safer, more efficient use of the airspace in a region that was previously controlled with procedural separation standards.

"Sensis wide area multilateration was the most cost-effective solution for surveillance over Tasmania today and also supports our commitment to using ADS-B in the future," Airservices General Manager, Technology and Asset Services, Alastair Hodgson said. "This multimode approach is critical to ensuring safety and airspace efficiency while ADS-B equipage grows."

Sensis WAM uses multiple low-maintenance, non-rotating sensors to triangulate aircraft location based on transponder signals and to provide air traffic controllers with precise aircraft position and identification information, regardless of weather conditions. With a higher update rate and greater positional accuracy than traditional radar, Sensis WAM provides effective surveillance for increased safety, capacity and efficiency of airspace and airports.

The Sensis WAM system provides cooperative surveillance coverage between Launceston and Hobart Airports, with accurate coverage of 150 meters or better from the ground level at the airports to 18,000 feet. Surveillance data is sent to the Melbourne Air Traffic Control Center where it will provide controllers with information to implement five nautical miles of separation in an environment that had largely been controlled with procedural separation measures.

"With Sensis WAM, Air Navigation Service Providers can deploy a cost-effective, highly-accurate system that is compatible with current and future surveillance technologies and is an ideal complement to ADS-B," said John Jarrell, vice president and general manager of Sensis Air Traffic Systems. "The technology is also enabling ANSPs to significantly enhance the efficiency of airspace by reducing separation standards."

Sensis is providing WAM solutions to leading ANSPs and militaries around the world, addressing terminal and en route surveillance, precision runway monitoring and special use airspace applications.

FMI: www.casa.gov.au, www.sensis.com