Radar control of airspace. Foreign multi-position radar systems for covert airspace control

BC/ NW 2015 № 2 (27): 13 . 2

AIRSPACE CONTROL THROUGH SPACE

Klimov F.N., Kochev M. Yu., Garkin E.V., Lunkov A.P.

High-precision air attack weapons, such as cruise missiles and unmanned attack aircraft, in the process of their development began to have a long range of 1,500 to 5,000 kilometers. The low visibility of such targets during the flight requires their detection and identification on the acceleration trajectory. It is possible to fix such a target at a long distance, either by over-the-horizon radar stations (OG radars), or using satellite-based radar or optical systems.

Attack unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles fly most often at speeds close to the speeds of passenger aircraft hence an attack by such means may be disguised as normal air traffic. This puts before the airspace control systems the task of detecting and identifying such means of attack from the moment of launch and at the maximum distance from the lines of effective destruction of them by means of VKS. To solve this problem, it is necessary to use all existing and developed airspace control and surveillance systems, including over-the-horizon radars and satellite constellations.

The launch of a cruise missile or attack unmanned aircraft can be carried out from the torpedo tube of a patrol boat, from the external suspension of the aircraft or from a launcher disguised as a standard sea container located on a civilian dry cargo ship, car trailer, railway platform. The satellites of the missile attack warning system already today record and track the coordinates of launches of unmanned aircraft or cruise missiles in the mountains and in the ocean using the engine torch in the acceleration section. Consequently, the satellites of the missile attack warning system need to monitor not only the territory of a potential enemy, but also the waters of the oceans and continents globally.

The placement of radar systems on satellites to control the aerospace space today is associated with technological and financial difficulties. But in modern conditions, such a new technology as broadcast automatic dependent surveillance (ADS-B) can be used to control the airspace via satellites. Information from commercial aircraft using the ADS-B system can be collected using satellites by placing on board receivers operating at ADS-B frequencies and repeaters of the received information to ground airspace control centers. Thus, it is possible to create a global field of electronic surveillance of the planet's airspace. Satellite constellations can become sources of flight information about aircraft in fairly large areas.

Airspace information coming from ADS-B system receivers located on satellites makes it possible to control aircraft over oceans and in terrain folds mountain ranges continents. This information will allow us to isolate the means of air attack from the flow of commercial aircraft with their subsequent identification.

ADS-B identification information on commercial aircraft coming through satellites will create an opportunity to reduce the risks of terrorist attacks and sabotage in our time. In addition, such information will make it possible to detect emergency aircraft and aviation accident sites in the ocean far from the coast.

Let us evaluate the possibility of using various satellite systems for receiving aircraft flight information using the ADS-B system and relaying this information to ground-based airspace control systems. Modern aircraft transmit flight information using the ADS-B system using on-board transponders with a power of 20 W at a frequency of 1090 MHz.

The ADS-B system operates at frequencies that freely penetrate the Earth's ionosphere. The transmitters of the ADS-B system located on board the aircraft have limited power, therefore, the receivers located on board the satellites must have sufficient sensitivity.

Using the energy calculation of the Samolet-Sputnik satellite communication line, we can estimate the maximum range at which the satellite can receive information from aircraft. The peculiarity of the satellite link used is the restrictions on the mass, dimensions and power consumption of both the onboard transponder of the aircraft and the onboard satellite transponder.

To determine the maximum range at which it is possible to receive messages by the ADS-B satellite, we will use the well-known equation for the line of satellite communication systems on the ground-satellite section:

where

is the effective signal power at the transmitter output ;

is the effective signal power at the receiver input;

– transmitting antenna gain;

– slant range from the spacecraft to the receiving AP;

-wavelength on the line "DOWN"

waves on the "Down" line;

is the effective aperture area of the transmitting antenna;

is the transmission coefficient of the waveguide path between the transmitter and the SC antenna;

– efficiency of the waveguide path between the receiver and the ES antenna;

Transforming the formula, we find the slant range at which the satellite can receive flight information:

d = .

We substitute in the formula the parameters corresponding to the standard onboard transponder and the receiving trunk of the satellite. As calculations show, the maximum transmission range on the aircraft-satellite link is 2256 km. Such a slant transmission range on the aircraft-to-satellite link is possible only when operating through low-orbit constellations of satellites. At the same time, we use standard aircraft equipment without complicating the requirements for commercial aircraft.

The ground station for receiving information has significantly smaller restrictions on weight and dimensions than the onboard equipment of satellites and aircraft. Such a station can be equipped with more sensitive receivers and high gain antennas. Therefore, the communication range on the satellite-to-ground link depends only on the conditions of the line of sight of the satellite.

Using data from the orbits of satellite constellations, we can estimate the maximum slant range of communication between a satellite and a ground receiving station using the formula:

where H is the height of the satellite orbit;

is the radius of the Earth's surface.

The results of calculations of the maximum slant range for points at different geographical latitudes are presented in Table 1.

		Orbcom	Iridium	Messenger	globalstar	Signal
Orbit height, km				1400	1414	1500
Earth radius north pole, km	6356,86	2994,51	3244,24	4445,13	4469,52	4617,42
Radius of the Earth Arctic Circle, km	6365,53	2996,45	3246,33	4447,86	4472,26	4620,24
Earth radius 80°, km	6360,56	2995,34	3245,13	4446,30	4470,69	4618,62
Radius of the Earth 70°, km	6364,15	2996,14	3245,99	4447,43	4471,82	4619,79
Earth radius 60°, km	6367,53	2996,90	3246,81	4448,49	4472,89	4620,89
Earth radius 50°, km	6370,57	2997,58	3247,54	4449,45	4473,85	4621,87
Earth radius 40°, km	6383,87	3000,55	3250,73	4453,63	4478,06	4626,19
Earth radius 30°, km	6375,34	2998,64	3248,68	4450,95	4475,36	4623,42
Earth radius 20°, km	6376,91	2998,99	3249,06	4451,44	4475,86	4623,93
Earth radius 10°, km	6377,87	2999,21	3249,29	4451,75	4476,16	4624,24
Earth radius equator, km	6378,2	2999,28	3249,37	4451,85	4476,26	4624,35

The maximum transmission range on the aircraft-to-satellite link is less than the maximum slant range on the satellite-to-ground link of the Orbkom, Iridium and Gonets satellite systems. The maximum data slant range is closest to the calculated maximum data transmission range for the Orbcom satellite system.

Calculations show that it is possible to create an airspace surveillance system using satellite relaying of ADS-B messages from aircraft to ground-based flight information processing centers. Such a surveillance system will increase the range of controlled space from a ground station to 4,500 kilometers without the use of inter-satellite communications, which will increase the airspace control area. With the use of inter-satellite communication channels, we will be able to control the airspace globally.

Fig. 1 "Airspace control using satellites"

Fig. 2 "Airspace control with inter-satellite communication"

The proposed method of airspace control allows:

Expand the coverage area of the airspace control system, including the waters of the oceans and the territory of mountain ranges up to 4500 km from the receiving ground station;

When using an inter-satellite communication system, it is possible to control the airspace of the Earth globally;

Receive flight information from aircraft regardless of foreign airspace surveillance systems;

Select air objects tracked by the overhead radar according to the degree of their danger at the far detection lines.

Literature:

1. Fedosov E.A. "Half a century in aviation". M: Bustard, 2004.

2. “Satellite communications and broadcasting. Directory. Edited by L.Ya.Kantor. M: Radio and communication, 1988.

3. Andreev V.I. “Order of the Federal Air Transport Service of the Russian Federation dated October 14, 1999 No. No. 80 "On the creation and implementation of a system of broadcasting automatic dependent surveillance in civil aviation Russia".

4. Traskovsky A. "Moscow's aviation mission: the basic principle of safe management." "Aviapanorama". 2008. No. 4.

of these Federal Rules

144. Control over compliance with the requirements of these Federal Rules is carried out federal agency air transport, air traffic services (flight control) in the zones and areas established for them.

Control over the use of airspace Russian Federation in terms of identifying aircraft violating the procedure for using airspace (hereinafter referred to as violating aircraft) and aircraft violating the rules of crossing state border of the Russian Federation is carried out by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

145. If the air traffic services (flight control) body detects a violation of the procedure for using the airspace of the Russian Federation, information about this violation is immediately brought to the attention of the air defense body and the aircraft commander, if radio contact is established with him.

146. Air defense agencies provide radar control of the airspace and provide the relevant centers of the Unified System with data on the movement of aircraft and other material objects:

a) threatening illegal crossing or illegally crossing the state border of the Russian Federation;

b) being unidentified;

c) violating the procedure for using the airspace of the Russian Federation (until the violation ceases);

d) transmitting a distress signal;

e) flying letters "A" and "K";

f) performing flights for search and rescue operations.

147. Violations of the procedure for using the airspace of the Russian Federation include:

a) the use of airspace without the permission of the relevant center of the Unified System under the permitting procedure for the use of airspace, except for the cases specified in paragraph 114 of these Federal Rules;

b) non-compliance with the conditions brought by the center of the Unified System in the permit for the use of airspace;

c) non-compliance with the commands of air traffic services (flight control) and the commands of the aircraft on duty of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;

d) non-compliance with the procedure for using the airspace of the border strip;

e) non-compliance with the established temporary and local regimes, as well as short-term restrictions;

f) flight of a group of aircraft in excess of the number specified in the flight plan of the aircraft;

g) use of the airspace of a prohibited zone, a restricted flight zone without permission;

h) landing of an aircraft at an unscheduled (undeclared) aerodrome (site), except for cases of forced landing, as well as cases agreed with the air traffic services (flight control) authority;

i) non-compliance by the aircraft crew with the rules of vertical and horizontal separation (with the exception of cases of occurrence on board the aircraft emergency requiring an immediate change in profile and flight mode);