The US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing has become the first unit in Europe to receive new radar systems for air traffic control.
The digital airport surveillance radar (DASR) and standard terminal automation replacement system (STARS) will replace aging technology at Department of Defense airfields.
The new DASR system will be used to replace the generalised proportional navigation system, used to track aircraft and weather conditions in the vicinity of civilian and military airfields.
The DASR will improve reliability, provide additional weather data, reduce maintenance costs and improve performance.
To derive maximum benefit from the DASR system, the STARS consoles were concurrently installed in place of the older automated radar terminal systems at the radar approach control facility.
The STARS system will accommodate air traffic growth and the introduction of new automation functions to improve the safety and efficiency of the US National Airspace System.
48th Operations Squadron assistant chief controller Master Sgt Klane Pierce said the new digital system will provide a clearer picture of all aircraft that the unit is controlling at the Royal Air Force Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall.
