Presented to: MPAR Symposium By: William Benner, Aviation Weather Group, Operations Planning Date: 12 October 2007 Federal Aviation Administration Multi-function.

Presented to: MPAR Symposium

By: William Benner, Aviation Weather Group, Operations Planning

Date: 12 October 2007

Federal AviationAdministrationMulti-function Phased

Array Radar (MPAR)

Technology Research and Development

Multi Function Phased Array Radar2Federal Aviation

AdministrationOctober 2007

DILBERT



5000 ft AGL, Blue, weather only

334 Radars, 1 Type

MPAR Concept and ApproachToday

Future Concept

510 Radars, 8 Types

Mechanically Rotating

Single System

Multi-Mission

Scalable to Mission Needs

Consolidated Maintenance,Logistic and Training Prgms

Electronically Steered

Multiple Maintenance, Logistic and Training Prgms

Non-Scalable

Single Mission

Eight System Types

MPARMPAR

ARSR-4ARSR-4ARSR-3ARSR-3 NEXRADNEXRADTDWRTDWRASR-11ASR-11ASR-8ASR-8 ASR-9ASR-9 ARSR-1/2ARSR-1/2



FAA Enterprise Architecture Surveillance and Weather Roadmaps

2011 - Decision Point (77) initial acquisition review decision for NextGen primary radar system including Wx and Aircraft surveillance requirements

2014 - Decision Point (104) to replace legacy terminal radars (ASR-8, ASR-9) with NextGen primary radar system including Wx and Aircraft surveillance requirements

2018 - Decision Point (91) to replace Wind Shear systems, and NEXRAD with NextGen primary radar system

2020 - Initial Operational Capability for NextGen primary radar system including Wx and Aircraft surveillance requirements

2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 20132010 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

77 104 91 New Primary Radar (Replaces ASR)

NextGen Wx Radar Capability



MPAR Cost Evolution

Concept of Operations (CONOPS)

Concept of Operations (CONOPS)

Operational Requirements (User Needs)

Operational Requirements (User Needs)

Performance Requirements

(Characteristics)

Performance Requirements

(Characteristics)

Drives

Drives

Radar System Architecture &

Design

Radar System Architecture &

DesignDrives

MPAR Cost

Drives

Scale



MPAR Requirements• Assertions

– Operational Requirements associated to MPAR can not be fully developed without a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Radar

– Mission Gaps can not be sufficiently identified without operational requirements

– Operational Requirements will drive Architecture/Design which will drive Cost

– The MPAR-WG must avoid the pitfall of a bottom-up approach• starting with technical requirements for existing radar will lead to

ill-formed requirements for MPAR• Require a fundamental change in requirements thinking

– e.g., 4.8 sec track update not a requirement– What does the user need?



MPAR Cost Reduction

• What can we do to affect cost?– Scan Strategy Study

• What are the resources needed to accomplish what must be surveilled?

• How often does it need to be surveilled?• Can we do it cheaper (simplified beamformer network)?

– Beamwidth Study• Increasing beamwidth decreases the number of T/R Modules

decreasing cost• What is acceptable to the weather community?

– Technology Investigation• Semi-conductor materials• Commercial Parts



MPAR Cost Influences

• Several influences to radar system cost– T/R Technology

• Maturity• Economy of Scale• Commercial Packaging

– User Operational Requirements– Scan Strategies – Beam Characteristics– Desired Performance



R&D Risk Reduction Efforts• Established/implemented MPAR pre-prototype technology

demonstration program– Exploring low-cost commercial technology (e.g., semiconductor materials,

fabrication, etc.)– Evaluating multifunction system concept– Developing advanced active array architecture (digital beamformer, overlapped

sub-arrays)– Researching advanced surveillance techniques

• Completed initial radar system concept definition (e.g., radar coverage analysis, scaled gap-filler concept)

• Identifying major cost issues and investigating mitigation strategies

• Developing MPAR Concept of Operations

Advanced MMIC Design

Digital backplane

Low-loss microwaveinterconnect cables

Antennae (4x4 at 5 cm spacing)

Electronics cards TR-modules Analog beamformer Downconverters and A/D Power supplies, fans, etc.



R&D Risk Reduction (cont’d)• Conducted engineering studies

– Evaluation of MPAR Benefits for FAA Weather Services (in progress)

– Evaluation of MPAR Benefits for FAA BU Surveillance Services (in progress)

– Radar Resource Utilization (weather vs. aircraft)– MPAR Cost Estimate &

Technology Assessment (and Cost Model)

– Pulse Compression Study



Pathway for Future Risk Reduction

• Continue researching technology:– Affordability– Capability– Performance

• Continue to establish partnerships with other Government Agencies, Industry and Academia

• Develop MPAR Prototype to execute research tasks necessary to meet R&D objectives



BACK-UP SLIDES



En

Ro

ute

Ter

min

alS

urf

ace

2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 20132010 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

100 X

X

X

Test M/LAT for PRM

102

102

96102

105

105

100

103

36 PRM-A

76

Test System in Colorado

RWSL101

78

78

WM/LAT

ATCBI-6

LRR

ATCBI-4/5

MODE S

ASR-9

ATCBI-4

ASR-8

ASR-11

ASR-7

ASDE-X

ASDE-3

MODE S

SBS

PRM E-SCAN

Surveillance Roadmap

X

X

ATCBI-5

X

X

X

Add M/LAT to ASDE-3 sites

New Beacon (Replaces Mode S)

New Beacon (Replaces Mode S)

New Primary Radar(Replaces ASR-8/9/11)

76

10299

X

X

95 X

LCGS

SBS (segmt. 1) SBS (segmt. 2)

7 10228 16652

178 180179

10497 102

98 102 10477

77



No

n F

AA

Sen

sors

2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 20132010 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

PIREPS

85AWOS/ASOS

/AWSS

FA

A S

enso

rs

TDWR

LLWAS-RS/NE 37

WSP TR1

TDWR SLEP 1

NEXRAD Product Improvement

ASR-9/11WX Channel

NEXRAD

ASR-WSP

TR

77

91

91

26

26SAWS

72

F-420

DASI

WSP TR2

25

NLDN

77

9 60

62

63

141

141

SLEP/Replace

SLEP/Replace

TDWR SLEP 2

TDWR SLEP 3

145

NextGen RWI Solution Set

49

Evaluate lower troposphere aircraft Wx Obs

NextGen RWI Solution Set

Auto PIREP Entry ERAM 43

Weather Roadmap (1 of 2)

104

104

10

WSP TR384

NextGen Wx Radar Capability



Sample Cases

Numbers Of Array Faces Transmitting Simultaneously

1 2 4 4 4 4

Numbers of Simultaneous Radar Beams per Array Face

1 1 1 2 4 4

Horizon Search Scan Time 3 sec. 3 sec. 2 sec. 1.5 1.5 sec. 1 sec.

Volume Search Scan Time 35 sec. 35 sec. 25 sec. 15 15 sec. 15 sec.

Air Tracks @ .5Hz Track rate 300 300 300 300 300 500

Air Tracks @1Hz Track rate 300 300 300 300 300 500

Track Starts per Second 10 10 10 10 20 20

Clutter tracks 100 100 100 100 100 100

Total % Time for search and track 100% 50% 28% 29% 32% 43%

Weather Scan Standard Update Rate - 180 sec. 120 sec. 60 sec. 60 sec. 60 sec.

Weather Scan Fast Update Rate - - 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec.

Weather Scan Fast Update Search Sector Size

- - 80° Azimuth18° Elevation

90° Azimuth18° Elevation



Total % Time for Wx Scan 0% 50% 72% 53% 27% 34 %

Total Radar Time % 100% 100% 100 % 82% 59% 72 %

Presented to: MPAR Symposium By: William Benner, Aviation Weather Group, Operations Planning Date: 12 October 2007 Federal Aviation Administration Multi-function.

Documents

existing radar

nextgen primary radar

new primary radar

radar mission gaps

technical requirements

mpar symposium

mpar cost reduction

system types mpar arsr