LAGOS – The National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has clarified that all the Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) services in the country are available except one.
NAAE told journalists on Tuesday in Lagos that that in a bid to achieve safety, efficiency and cost-effective air traffic control operations, the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA), under the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria project (TRACON) had deployed four Primary Surveillance Radar co-located with the Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Apart from these, NAMA also has five stand-alone Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) systems in Ilorin, Obubra, Maiduguri, Talata Mafara and Numan.
Engr Selzing Miri, President of NAAE, told journalists that all the primary surveillance radar, except that of Kano were working optimally.
Miri explained that the Kano PSR was presently unserviceable, but undergoing maintenance.
According to him, the five autonomous stations provide radar data inputs for the four main stations.
He explained that the VSAT network transmits radar data from the nine MSSR stations, and configured to provide total coverage of the Nigerian airspace by radar.
He said: “The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR), which has a range of 65 Nautical Miles is a solid-state S-band radar with a high performance that can operate with dense air traffic situations, within approach or extended approach control areas. It enables reduced separation between aircraft and features a high processing capacity.
“The MSSR with a range of 250NM will provide aircraft range, azimuth, (ground) speed, altitude and identity. The system is multi-functional and extremely robust with capabilities for information on emergencies, radio communication failures and hijack. This negates the claim that the Secondary Radar just provide a sense of positioning that an aircraft is there.”
According to the NAAE boss, apart from enhancing the level of safety, improving efficiency and reducing the probability of human error, the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) system has a high degree of reliability and availability.
With the Primary Surveillance Radar only the position of the aircraft could be determined.
He maintained that the PSR does not identify aircraft, but only used mainly around airports for approach control, and in certain countries for en-route surveillance.
He added that the PSR detects all aircraft in range regardless of aircraft on-board equipment.
But he clarified that the Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) is used for approach and en-route surveillance, saying it detects and positions aircraft and receives additional information such as their identity and altitude.
“Contrary to the PSR, the SSR requires aircraft to be fitted with a transponder onboard. With its continually rotating antenna, the SSR will send out an energy beam which will interrogate aircraft transponder,” he said.
Miri expressed worry on the focus on remuneration of certain staff of the agency, while undermining the role of the Air Traffic Engineers who, he maintained are saddled with the responsibilities of installation, maintenance and running of the Communication, Navigation, Surveillance (CNS) and others.
Miri however called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency invest more in the training and retraining of the Air Traffic Engineers who he insisted played critical role in the air safety chain of the Nigerian airspace, provide adequate spare parts to reduce the down time of faulty systems and a commensurate remuneration to boost the low morale of the selfless, dedicated and committed Air Traffic Safety Personnel (ATSEPs) in the Country.
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