Hong Kong upgrades air surveillance radar

A new route surveillance radar (RSR) has been installed on Mount Parker, on Hong Kong Island, to improve the surveillance capability of the Hong Kong air traffic control system.

The new equipment incorporating the latest technology and design will also help maximise airspace capacity and ensure flight safety.

It replaces the old primary surveillance radar which was erected on Mount Parker in 1978 for the former Hong Kong International Airport at Kai Tak.

"The performance of the new fully solid state RSR is superior to the old radar in terms of stability, reliability, signal processing, accuracy and target detection capability during bad weather," the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr Albert Lam, said today (March 30).

He said it was necessary to replace the old system, which had a 200 nautical mile reach for en-route air traffic surveillance, because of its age and the difficulty in acquiring spare parts.

Primary surveillance radar is radio detection equipment that provides information on the range and bearing of aircraft in the form of a target blip on the radar screen of air traffic controllers. It transmits radar pulses and detects the reflected signals from the aircraft. It does not rely on an active transponder or avionics on board aircraft.

With the new radar antenna encased within a radome, the radar system can work continuously under all weather conditions, including typhoons. The radar antenna is 9.7 metres high and 13.7 metres wide. The radome's diameter is 15 metres.

During the replacement process, the Mount Parker radar station was renovated with the inclusion of a new standby generator, fuel tank, power supply system and fire fighting system. This will ensure that the facilities can support the operation of the new RSR for 20 to 25 years.

Before the new RSR was accepted, a flight inspection team from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China conducted the commissioning flight checks to certify the system could work properly.

Ends/Tuesday, March 30, 2004