Washington Dulles Gets ASDE-X Safety Surveillance System

Washington Dulles is the 12th and latest U.S. airport to get ASDE-X (airport surface detection equipment - model x) to give tower ground controllers a more complete picture of ground movements to help them prevent runway incursions among other benefits. Dulles controllers began using the system on April 1^st.

The system incorporates existing radar data with signals from aircraft and vehicle transponders, and ground multilateration sensors, as well as from ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) technology as it becomes available.  It presents the resulting information graphically on color monitors located in the tower cab.

Originally intended to be installed at 25 airports when the FAA awarded the ASDE-X contract to Sensis in October 2000, the agency later expanded the project to include 35 airports. The FAA estimates it will cost over $806 million to procure, deploy and operate ASDE-X over a 30-year life cycle.

Detroit Metropolitan is scheduled to begin using the system this June, followed by New York's Kennedy in August.  04-08-2008.

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