SAFETY IN THE SKIES
be placed to provide the needed coverage area for the system. Topographical maps, aeronautical charts, military reservation boundaries, and satellite imagery are used to select candidate radar locations.
Preference is given to locations that fall within the boundaries of a military reserva- tion. Tis reduces the logistical burden of dealing with nonmilitary parties, arrang- ing lease agreements, providing enhanced security, and establishing communication from the radar site to the GBSAA Process- ing Unit. Potential radar placement sites are assessed for proximity to roads, power, and communication infrastructure.
USAIC also contacts the fielding instal- lation to find out any initial concerns about the candidate radar locations and to inquire about other potential sites. As additional information is gathered,
the
number of potential sites is reduced to a handful of candidates for further analysis.
Te candidate radar sites are provided to the radar manufacturer for line of sight (LOS) analysis, using Digital Ter- rain Elevation Data to determine the LOS from a candidate radar location. LOS plots help determine the estimated level of radar coverage; the installation of multiple radars provides overlapping coverage, resulting in sensor redundancy in the system for safe operations. It also
THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM,
mitigates potential areas of poor radar coverage from a single radar that may have limited LOS because of a hill or other obscuring element.
CONDUCTING THE SITE SURVEY Once the initial radar placement study is complete, the next step is to conduct the site survey.
During the coordination leading up to the site visit, the USAIC team requests in-brief participation from certain key agencies
that will have an interest in
the fielded GBSAA system. Typical par- ticipants include representatives from the installation’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security; the offices for Air Traffic and Airspace, Force Management, Range Control, Environmental, Public Works, and Master Planner or Real Property; G-3 Aviation; the Combat Aviation Brigade; Network Enterprise Center (NEC); and other UAS-related offices.
Two teams from the USAIC office coor- dinate with local site representatives. A radar team assesses candidate sites, and an operations and airspace team assesses local operations and airspace consider- ations for the site. Te two teams’ efforts are tightly coupled and rely on the exper- tise of system engineers, sensor engineers,
“SAFE STATE” GBSAA ENABLED—FOR THE FIRST TIME—
AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO FLY AT NIGHT IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM WITHOUT A VISUAL OBSERVER OR CHASE PLANE.
66 Army AL&T Magazine January–March 2013
operations and flight engineers, airspace and Certificate of Authorization manag- ers, and logisticians.
Following are the events of a typical site survey:
Day 1—Te visit begins with the USAIC team coordinating with local representa- tives and providing a brief on the GBSAA system, after which the two USAIC teams begin to address specific site survey objectives. Te operations and airspace team meets with installation airspace and flight representatives to understand how GBSAA and the UAS will integrate into existing flight operations.
Meanwhile, the radar team conducts an aerial assessment of the candidate radar locations. A helicopter hovers at each of the candidate location at designated alti- tudes to identify any LOS obstructions, while recording a 360-degree video for further LOS analysis. Tis information will be analyzed later to confirm LOS to the necessary distances and tower height estimates.
Day 2—Te operations and airspace
team continues its assessments of nearby airports and airfields whose flight opera- tions could impact GBSAA operations. Te radar team meets with representa- tives from the local NEC to discuss communication and network require- ments, followed by a discussion with Public Works about site preparation requirements and procedures. Te radar team performs ground assessments of the candidate radar sites, which will allow the team to establish a site’s proximity to roads, power, infrastructure.
and communication
A preliminary frequency sweep is also conducted to identify any spectrum conflicts within the radar’s transmitting
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