The Ministry of Defense of France, through the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), chose the air traffic management and radar system of Indra to support air operations at three of its bases with maximum efficiency and safety.
The first of Indra’s systems was implemented at Le Luc-en-Provence air base, home to the French Army’s Light Aviation School (EALAT – École de l’Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre).
This airfield also serves as an NH90 pilot school and Franco-German pilot training school for the Tiger helicopter. In December 2019, the company completed the deployment of a PSR2 radar and an automated air traffic management system, which has since been ensuring safety and supporting the maneuvers of the fighter pilots who pass through the school.
Indra is now finalizing the implementation of these same systems at the DAX air base in Landes, which is also part of the French Army’s Light Aviation Pilot School and where helicopter pilots from the three armies and the Gendarmerie receive their initial training.
In the coming months, the company will also deploy a PSR 2D primary radar at the Air Force’s forward base in Solenzara, Corsica, a strategic location for operations in the Mediterranean.
The deployment of three radars, with the possibility of a fourth one (Indra’s primary and secondary radars) at these bases is part of the French Air Operations Command and Control and Conduction System, SCCOA.
The PSR radar, modern and reliable
Indra’s PSR 2D/MSSR S-band solid-state radar incorporates the latest state-of-the-art digital technologies. Together with the company’s air traffic automation system, it constitutes one of the most effective systems for the detection, monitoring, automation and control of military air bases in existence. It also complies with the highest standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Eurocontrol.
Indra’s solution stands out for its ability to operate with maximum precision in situations of high noise (clutter), interference or anomalies caused by severe weather or steep terrain, characteristic of some regions of France. It also provides extremely useful meteorological information for pilots and controllers.
At the same time, they incorporate the most advanced techniques, developed by Indra, to eliminate noise caused by wind turbines from wind farms, an increasingly frequent problem that poses a complex technical and operational challenge for airports.
The Moving Target Detector (MTD) implemented in these systems is optimized to ensure that controllers can detect an aircraft in the most adverse conditions.
In addition to military aircraft, Indra’s technology will also benefit French firefighting services and civil protection corps that occasionally use some of these air bases.
State-of-the-art defense systems
Indra is one of the world’s leading suppliers of military and civilian radars and one of NATO’s preferred suppliers. Its Lanza 3D family of radars is also capable of detecting fifth-generation fighters equipped with stealth technology.
It is also one of the three national coordinators of the NGWS/FCAS program, the largest defense project launched in Europe to date. At the same time, Indra is one of the world’s leading suppliers of civil air traffic systems.
