airport surveillance radar

Airport surveillance radar (ASR) is a type of radar technology used to detect and track aircraft at altitudes below 25,000 feet and within 40 to 60 nautical miles of an airport. These systems are designed for high reliability, with some operable over 99.9% of the time, often featuring redundant components and remote monitoring capabilities.1

ASR systems use Doppler filtering and other techniques to distinguish aircraft from weather clutter, while also providing weather echo information to air traffic controllers. Operating in the S band (2.7 to 2.9 GHz), ASRs utilize powerful transmitters and rotating antennas to scan the airspace. Some newer models, like the ASR-11 and ASR-12, incorporate solid-state transmitters. ASR is a critical component of air traffic control, ensuring safe navigation and management of aircraft around major airports.1