Raytheon Company is modernizing the Brazilian Air Force’s surveillance radars across the Amazon. Raytheon will upgrade seven legacy radars to the next-generation Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar system, Condor Mk3, increasing efficiency and reducing electric energy consumption. The new, more advanced Condor Mk3 introduces new features such as automatic adaptive power control, fully configurable software, a high-duty cycle transmitter and built-in ADS-B, all in a much smaller footprint. The legacy radars were previously installed by Raytheon in the early 2000s under the Brazilian System for the Vigilance of the Amazon project and have been in continuous operation since its installation.
“This modernization effort expands our long-term partnership in Brazil with the Commission for Implementation of the Brazilian Air Space Control System,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “The Condor Mk3 is a highly reliable and low-maintenance system that will maintain the safety of the airspace in the Amazon for many years to come.”
“This modernization has the main goal to maintain the high levels of air traffic control quality, in compliance with International Aviation Standard through surveillance technology, ensuring operational safety conditions in the Amazon region,” said Maj. Gen. Sérgio Rodrigues Pereira Bastos Jr., president of the Airspace Control System Implementation Commission (CISCEA) in Brazil.
Condor Mk 3 MSSR is Raytheon UK’s next-generation Mode S MSSR system. This innovative, new, low-cost, high-probability detection radar brings together indigenous state-of-the-art surveillance technologies to provide cutting-edge, reliable, hardware to air traffic operators around the world. A next-generation solution built on the excellent pedigree of the company’s successful Condor Mk 2, the Mk 3 introduces enhanced features such as a high-duty cycle and built-in ADS-B advanced decoding capability. Raytheon UK’s ADS-B patented Decoding Algorithms ensure superior performance in the most harsh environments.
Raytheon has installed more than 800 MSSR systems in both commercial and military applications across the globe. Commercial customers include major national air navigation service providers such as the Federal Aviation Authority, National Air Traffic Services and Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), as well as smaller regional airport operators. Among military customers are the UK Ministry of Defence, U.S. Department of Defense, Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Danish Air Force. With technological developments in sustainable energies, the rise of wind farm turbines and their interference for ATC primary surveillance radars (PSR) has drawn considerable attention within the ATM industry in recent years.
