Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security (EBS) recently handed over the first Aerodrome Surveillance Radar (ASR) to Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 at Niederstetten Air Base in Germany. The company is currently equipping German military airfields with the ASR, claimed to be the most powerful airport surveillance radar in the world, as part of a modernisation programme. A total of 20 systems will be delivered altogether.

The ASR systems will replace the 30-year-old radars which have been used until now in military air traffic control. The new radars will be used for approach control at the airfields themselves and for airspace surveillance within a radius of 60NM (110km) to safely coordinate military flight movements with civil air traffic. The radar handed over to the Niederstetten Army Airfield is the fourth system in this product series, and the first system delivered to the German Army. The ASR-S is already in service at German Air Force bases in Laupheim, Büchel and Wittmund.

The ASR comprises a primary radar based on a semiconductor transmitter and special signal processing technology for wide-area surveillance. It is combined with the MSSR 2000 I secondary radar for the automatic identification of aircraft. This secondary radar meets the new “Mode S” air traffic control standard, which improves aircraft identification queries and is currently being introduced in Central European airspace.

EBS is currently a 100% subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus Group has signed a share purchase agreement with the investment company KKR in order to transfer ownership of initially 74.9% of the EBS shares to KKR. The agreement is expected to come into effect in the first quarter of 2017. Thereafter, the company will do business under the brand name Hensoldt.