Our ATLAS Alpha center in Villacarrillo has completed the renovation and upgrade of the Harrier primary radar, a key tool in the operations of our facilities, and more specifically for conducting flight tests of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/RPAS) and new UAM (Urban Air Mobility) platforms. Specifically, this facility is capable of detecting both cooperative (with transponders) and non-cooperative aircraft at distances of up to 30 kilometers, providing accurate and reliable surveillance.
The project has received a grant of €120,000 from the Provincial Council of Jaén for the development of all the work, which has been carried out by the company DETEC.
The objective of this project has been to update the primary radar (both hardware and software systems) to ensure the proper functioning and use of its capabilities during the flight campaigns carried out at our center. Since its installation in 2014, this radar has served more than 90 companies that have passed through the Villacarrillo facilities—notably campaigns such as those of Lilium and AERTEC, among others—but it needed to be renovated and updated so that it would not affect the safety level of operations.
The work involved updating the radar’s hardware and software systems, specifically the renewal of the system’s computers, the update of the Asterix Upgrade Radar Kit software, the provision of an SQL Server computer/server, the installation of UPS batteries for response in the event of a power failure (Uninterrupted Power Supply), and the installation of new cabling from the antenna to the new computer.
The company carrying out the work also provided ongoing training on the new radar systems to ATLAS personnel to ensure that they can be operated correctly and offer maximum guarantees in flight campaigns, complying with the regulations required by the competent aviation authority.
The modernization of the Harrier radar system will not only improve the accuracy and reliability of detecting and tracking aircraft flying in ATLAS Alpha, but will also strengthen the center’s ability to manage air traffic efficiently and safely, further enhancing the excellence it already possesses.
In short, this initiative is a strategic commitment to maintaining and raising the standards of operational safety and quality in its infrastructure, ensuring that the ATLAS Center remains an industry leader and a role model in the experimentation and integration of advanced systems and technologies in unmanned aviation.
