ERA to supply multilateration to Munich airport [February, 2006]
Pardubice, Czech Republic - The airport operator Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) and the German ANSP (DFS) awarded ERA the purchasing contracts for an airport multilateration surveillance system (MSS) for Munich Airport International. The FMG and DFS took the decision following a one-year international competition in responses to their common call for tender. 

The winning solution of ERA represents the required two separate multilateration systems, which operate independently from each other, one to fulfill the surveillance tasks for DFS, covering the maneuvering areas (runways and taxiways, incl. the adjacent non-movement areas), the other for FMG applications, covering the apron areas, incl. the commuter area; both systems can support the operation of one to the other if necessary. 

The multilateration project for Munich Airport International consists of 26 receiving stations, 10 transmitting stations and 4 reference transponders. Each organization (DFS and FMG) can operate independently its own processing unit. This solution allows FMG and DFS to adapt their own processing units to their specific surveillance needs. 

The project for Munich Airport International follows on the previous ERA airport MSS installations in Germany at Hamburg and Braunschweig airports, which were the bases of a successful testing of A-SMGCS concept within BETA program supported by European Commission. The number of ERA's MSS references grows to 26 systems and supports ERA's position as the world's leading company in the multilateration technology.

About Munich Airport International 
Munich Airport International (MUC) is the Germany's second largest airport and ranks eighth among European passenger airports, connecting more than 26 million passengers a year. MUC is the winner of the Airport of the Year Award for 2005/2006.
http://www.munich-airport.de/EN/index.html  

About DFS 
DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH is responsible for air traffic control in Germany. DFS performs its air navigation services at 19 airports throughout Germany and in six control centers.
http://www.dfs.de/dfs/internet/english/index.html  

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ERA to implement world's largest multilateration system [January, 2006]
Pardubice, Czech Republic - Following an international competition, the Czech-Spanish consortium ERA a.s. and EMTE Sistemas has been awarded two contracts by AENA (the Spanish Civil Aviation Administration) to supply its advanced multilateration surveillance systems for Madrid Barajas and Tenerife Norte airports. This achievement extends the number of Spanish references to four and thus proves customer satisfaction with systems already delivered to Palma de Mallorca and Asturias. 

Multilateration surveillance system MSS represents the fourth generation of ATC systems of ERA, which is characterized with an advanced Mode A/C/S processing and re-designed remote stations. The concept provides accurate positions and identifications of aircraft and vehicles. MSS assists apron and tower controllers to safely manage airport surface traffic. 

Due to huge extent of the Barajas airport and challenging requirements on the system performances and redundancy, the MSS at Madrid Barajas consists of 32 Receiving/Transmitting Stations and currently represents the largest multilateration system in the world. 

"These new contracts will increase the number of ERA's references to 25 surveillance systems deployed at 4 continents and strengthens the ERA's position in the market," says Milan Bernard, the Commercial director of ERA. 

About Madrid Barajas Airport 
Madrid Barajas International Airport (LEMD, MAD) is the Spain's busiest airport and the 5th busiest airport in Europe, connecting more than 38 million passengers a year between Spain's stunning capital city and hundreds of international destinations. Madrid Barajas Airport handles the majority of Spain's transatlantic flights, is the foremost European airport for flights to Central and South America and has developed as a major hub for worldwide connections. Capacity at Madrid Airport is set to double with a new terminal building and two extra runways, scheduled to open in 2005. 

About Tenerife Norte - Los Rodeos Airport, Canary Islands 
Tenerife Norte Airport (GCXO, TFN) also known as Los Rodeos is a gateway to one of the most popular destinations in southern Europe. In 2004 handled over 3.5 million passengers and the numbers in 2005 look set to rise as the new inter-island flight hall has transformed this airport into the Canary Islands main inter island airport hub. Due to proximity of the highest Spanish mountain Teide the airport often suffers from bad visibility conditions and the multilateration system is the right tool to help surface movement and guidance control. 

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ERA demonstration of a brand-new PnP ADS-B Ground Station [December, 2005]
Nadi, Fiji - In the ocasion of the ICAO ADS-B Task Force meeting held in Fiji, ERA presented its compact, lightweight, low power consumption Mode S-ES ADS-B Ground Station (GS). GS robust weatherproof design is based on a single board computer and embedded operating system. The GS is suitable for both upper and lower airspace applications, including vehicle tracking on the airport surface. It features minimum installation requirements at lower cost compared to competing products. The GS is a modular concept and may be extended by optional components, like TIS-B transmitter, UPS, or a dual receiver. 

Together with the GS, ERA presented operational performance of its Mode S-ES squitter beacon (SQB) designed to allow the position awareness of vehicles on the airport surface.

Picture Galery: Antenna of the ADS-B Ground, Fiji  (800kB)

New generation of MSS designed with ELinOS [October, 2005]
Prague, Czech Republic - ERA has selected ELinOS for a new generation of MSS (Multilateration Surveillance System) radar system, which is scheduled for the beginning of 2006. Supported by the Czech SYSGO team ERA will migrate to Embedded Linux. Download the SYSGO Press Release.

After a long-term successful operation of WAM system in Ostrava LKMT, which in 2001 pioneered the application of multilateration as a sole mean for radar separation, ERA will supply its MSS-W in Prague and surrounding area to contribute to enhanced safety of en-route and TMA operations with a brand new generation of ERA systems.

ERA’s MSS-W system, designed for approach and en-route surveillance, fully meets the most recent international standards and recommendations proved by CAA certification. This solution for the central Bohemia consists of 7 Receiving and 2 Transmitting Stations. System features enhanced technology of multilateration processing. Thanks to this, a new architecture of the system has a minimum requirements on infrastructure, which results in cost saving and flexible solution.

This contract follows ERA successful supplies for Wide Area Multilateration systems counting to installations in 5 countries round the world, serving the ATC surveillance in regions of Ostrava, Linz, Asturias, Cape Town, Yerevan and Gyumri.

The Czech-French consortium ERA and SEEE-IS (INEO) was awarded a contract by South African ATNS to deliver a Multilateration Surveillance System (MSS) for the Cape Town Airport. The multilateration system will provide improved surveillance and monitoring of en-route traffic and TMA from the final approach up to the parking areas with a seamless transition between air and ground control. The system combines features of Monopulse SSR with a high accuracy and update rate of the multilateration systems. The multilateration sensors are easy to deploy thanks to their small size and low power consumption. ERA has deployed or is deploying 49 wide-area multilateration stations in Europe and Asia that cover more than 1 000 000 square km.

The use of such systems invokes needs for appropriate standards and certification. Therefore the EUROCAE Council approved, on October 7, 2004, the creation of a Working Group 70 (WG-70) on Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) systems for the en route and terminal surveillance.

ERA was invited by the EUROCAE Council, among other important bodies playing on the multilateration development field, to participate on this standardisation process of the WAM. The kick off meeting of this WG-70 took place on January 11, 2005 in Paris.

As a prove of our long term experiences in the MLAT development and a recognised contribution to the implementation of the MLAT technology in the ATC world, ERA was voted on that meeting by the WG-70 members to chair this group. The next WG-70 meeting is to take place in April 2005 in Prague.

Along with an improved light weighted design, the new unit features an interface for a laptop connection, an additional separate interface for the GPS data output, and a possibility to input the differential GPS correction.

The production of a new generation was launched by the end of 2004. The units are already in service for the A-SMGCS in Prague international airport Ruzyne, the Vehicle Tracking System in Santiago de Chile and support as well as the A-SMGCS concept in the Copenhagen international airport Kastrup.

ARMATS faced a problem with an insufficient surveillance coverage around Yerevan and Gyumri, deserted territories in high mountains. The ARMATS requirements resulted in an international competition comprising the contest between the current and coming surveillance technologies - conventional MSSR solution compared to the multilateration technology. The solution provided by ERA showed a great potential of the multilateration technology, appraised by the currrent contract of two multilateration systems for this Armenian project.

Two multilateration systems, enhanced by a multi-ranging technique which significantly improves the system accuracy, will be delivered in autumn 2005. The systems will cover almost the whole territory of Armenia. It will be the highest operating equipment deployed by ERA, reaching the height of 2,800 m ASL.