Indra upgrades air navigation radars in the United Kingdom with state-of-the-art technology for more sustainable aviation

Indra has won a contract to upgrade the United Kingdom’s air surveillance network with new state-of-the-art radars. NATS, the country’s air navigation service provider, has awarded Indra this contract, which will incorporate cutting-edge design and technology to cut down on CO2 emissions.

Indra will deploy a total of 19 radars in the different locations, each will be equipped with a primary PSR3D and a secondary MSSR radar. Indra will also upgrade the systems of the primary radar currently in operation, previously installed by the company at Lowther Hill, and complement it with an MSSR, in such a way that NATS will have 10 identical sites to standardize its maintenance work. The project includes manufacturing, installing, supporting and maintaining the radars for around 20 years.

Indra’s radars comply with the highest technical and safety standards, and they are designed to be managed remotely, a sustainable approach that cuts down on the carbon footprint while optimizing energy consumption by reusing the necessary facilities and improving the efficiency of the buildings where they have been set up. This will be possible thanks to Indra’s control and monitoring system, which will facilitate the maintenance of the radars once they enter operation.

Indra’s systems meet the demanding sustainability requirements set by NATS in its environmental commitments including achieving its goal of zero emissions in all of its air traffic operations. Thanks to the incorporation of advanced algorithms, Indra’s radars have capabilities to allow better mitigation for the adverse effects that wind farms can have on radar signals, as they are able to detect and eliminate the interference caused by reflections and common turbine noises that affect air safety. This also means that the use of renewable energies can be compatible with safe and efficient air operations.

Phil Blakemore, NATS' Surveillance Service Owner, said: “Replacing our radar fleet is the first phase of a major upgrade to the UK’s radar systems. It will ensure we continue to provide excellent coverage for our customers while also reducing energy use by 30-50%, helping NATS meet its sustainability goals”.

“This ambitious project will consolidate Indra as a global flagship in advanced aviation technology and strengthen its close collaboration with NATS in transforming air traffic management in the United Kingdom and, improving the efficiency and sustainability for decades to come. Indra is one of the few companies in the world that’s capable of addressing the comprehensive refresh of an air surveillance network of these characteristics, and the trust placed by major countries such as Germany, Spain and, now, the United Kingdom, three mainstays of the digital European sky, shows that it’s an achievable and more efficient model”, highlighted Victor Martínez, Executive Vice President of ATM at Indra.

Indra has equipped a total of over 11,000 air traffic facilities around the world and it’s one of the few companies in the world with a portfolio of state-of-the-art solutions capable of managing a flight gate-to-gate, from take-off to arrival at its destination.