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(IVAR) - Final Report - Strategic Environmental Research and ...

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Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds to help pay for the avian radar system. Both projects<br />

conducted similar demonstrations but for different audiences. Both produced evaluations <strong>and</strong><br />

guidelines for applicability of this technology. The fact that they were able to work together so<br />

closely has increased the value of both DoD’s <strong>and</strong> the FAA’s investment in the evaluation of<br />

avian radar technology.<br />

Technology Transfer. This report summarizes the demonstrations conducted by the <strong>IVAR</strong><br />

project that establish the avian radar systems we evaluated are mature, they can operate under a<br />

wide range of realistic conditions at military facilities, <strong>and</strong> they can generate a variety of<br />

parametric data from avian targets <strong>and</strong> present those data as useful data products for both realtime<br />

<strong>and</strong> historical applications. In short, these products are ready for market.<br />

The avian radar systems <strong>and</strong> components discussed in this report, or their commercial<br />

equivalents 34 , are available for purchase as off-the-shelf products. Avian radar products by other<br />

vendors (see Section 6.7) are also available for purchase. All of these vendors have system<br />

configurations that are suitable for natural resources management <strong>and</strong> for BASH applications.<br />

All have experienced wildlife management <strong>and</strong>/or BASH personnel on staff who can assist the<br />

end-user with the selection, siting, commissioning, <strong>and</strong> operation <strong>and</strong> maintenance of their<br />

products, plus documentation <strong>and</strong> training courses for these products.<br />

Avian radar technology is also developing rapidly as the requirements of the BASH <strong>and</strong> natural<br />

resources management markets become better defined. Better height-finding antennas, solidstate<br />

transceivers, <strong>and</strong> advanced situational awareness displays <strong>and</strong> alert notification software<br />

have come onto the market in the short time since the <strong>IVAR</strong> project completed its studies.<br />

Improvements in the technology <strong>and</strong> its application should continue as the markets continue to<br />

grow. However, as is often the case with maturing technologies, the issues surrounding avian<br />

radar systems today are less about the technology <strong>and</strong> more about the application of that<br />

technology.<br />

The FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5220-25 (FAA, 2010) provides a good roadmap <strong>and</strong><br />

concept of operations (CONOPS) for selecting, deploying, <strong>and</strong> operating avian radar systems for<br />

BASH applications. It discusses the benefits <strong>and</strong> limitations of avian radar technology, <strong>and</strong><br />

provides sound recommendations on the importance of developing a clear underst<strong>and</strong>ing of a<br />

facility’s needs <strong>and</strong> requirements before deciding to acquire <strong>and</strong> use this technology. The<br />

Advisory Circular also provides functional <strong>and</strong> performance specifications for avian radar<br />

systems, similar to those presented in Appendix B of this report, plus additional system st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />

<strong>Final</strong>ly, the AC provides guidance on the deployment <strong>and</strong> operation <strong>and</strong> maintenance of avian<br />

radar systems at airports. Much of the information in the AC is equally applicable to civil <strong>and</strong><br />

military applications.<br />

In addition to the published guidance in the FAA Advisory Circular, the four military facilities<br />

that participated <strong>IVAR</strong> project (see Section 4) have personnel on staff who are experienced in the<br />

application of avian radar technology for both BASH <strong>and</strong> natural resources management<br />

applications. Contact information for these individuals is available from the author of this report<br />

upon request. BASH personnel at other military airfields that were not part of the <strong>IVAR</strong> project<br />

34<br />

The eBirdRad systems that form the centerpiece of the avian radar systems evaluated by the <strong>IVAR</strong> project were<br />

developed for test <strong>and</strong> evaluation purposes. The CEAT project purchased the commercial equivalents from ARTI<br />

for its studies. It is these commercial products, or their even more modern equivalents, that military facilities would<br />

purchase in today’s marketplace.<br />

289

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