RSM NG – Never Miss a Beat

Air passengers’ safety starts on the ground. From pushback to parking, whether on the tarmac or in the skies, air traffic controllers need to know an airplane’s position at all times to prevent collisions from happening. 

This already held true 50 years ago when Secondary Surveillance Radars (SSR) were first installed; yet today, with increasingly busy airports and skies, every second makes even more of a difference in air traffic management.

The RSM NG breaks the boundaries of what secondary radars can do, combining key technologies that allow air traffic controllers to interrogate the skies at all times and in complete confidence.

Make every second count

A Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar  (MSSR) antenna rotates once every 4 to 12 seconds, depending on the set-up chosen by the operator. This means that between each scan of the MSSR, there are a few seconds during which the radar is not interrogating the skies, leaving the aircraft’s position unknown. When air passenger security is at stake, 4 to 12 seconds can represent a very long period of uncertainty where much can happen. 

To address this critical gap, Thales introduces its latest digital secondary radar, the RSM NG. Leveraging 50 years of experience, the RSM NG goes beyond MSSR architecture by including Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) technologies within the same sensor. Because the ADS-B receives the information emitted by aircraft once per second (e.g. Identification, altitude, speed, velocity, projected path, etc), it provides air traffic controllers with accurate aircraft information from push back to parking. 

The result is a meta-sensor that merges different levels of data in order to provide accurate and continuous information that contributes to meeting the aircrafts’ 3NM separation standard. 
 

Choose radar availability, for today and tomorrow

Secondary radars have a long life span. So the lifecycle costs of a radar, as well as its ability to stand the test of time in a fast-paced technological world, are key considerations when choosing which radar to install and operate for 15, 20 or 30 years. From installation and maintenance all the way to future proofing, Thales has designed the RSM NG to be easy and cost-effective to operate. 

Compact and leveraging total  cost of ownership 

Compact, with less Line Replaceable Units (LRU) and featuring Health Usage & Monitoring System (HUMS) capacities, the new radar is easier to maintain and its excellent Mean Time Between Critical Failures (MTBCF) capabilities (80 000h) ensure higher availability. 

Compliant and Future Ready

In a regulatory landscape constantly evolving to adapt to new threats, technological developments or environmental constraints, the RSM NG’s advanced digital architecture has been designed to make future upgrades as easy as possible. Compliance with new regulations has never been easier.

The re-engineering also limits re-interrogation rates, contributing to reduced radio frequency pollution, as well as providing interference map and strobes of jammed signals. 

With increased efficiency, resilience and maintenance, the RSM NG’s high operational availability makes it the radar of choice to secure your skies, confident that you will never miss a beat. 

Key features

  • Scan rate up to 15 RPM with 256 NM coverage in ELS & EHS Mode S 

  • ADS-B Extended Squitter detection over 360° without additional hardware

  • 2000 tracks per scan

  • 64 simultaneous data outputs to Air Traffic Centers

  • Reduced cone of silence

Did you know?

  • With more than 50 years of experience in secondary surveillance radars and around 1000 ATC radars sold worldwide, Thales is constantly investing to lead the latest innovations in the market

  • 2 out of 3 aircraft take off using Thales technology

  • The first Thales Secondary Surveillance Radar (RS 670) was installed in 1970. 50 years later, Thales is aiming to have more than 1 000 radars sold worldwide

  • RSM NG is the latest radar of Thales ATC radar portfolio to have a tech refresh after the STAR NG (Primary Surveillance Radar for Approach) in 2015 and TRAC NG (Primary Surveillance Radar for En-Route) in 2017

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