Singapore Engineering Software (SES) has signed an agreement with Sensis to cooperate in the marketing, integration and support of the Sensis Multi-Static Dependent Surveillance (MDS) system in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The system is designed to increase the level of safety and efficiency in airports and air traffic management.
Under the agreement, SES will market and install the state-of-the-art Sensis MDS technology to aviation authorities in Asia and the Middle East. It will also be responsible for after-sales support.
Reliable
The MDS system is designed to prevent accidents such as the crash of Singapore Airlines SQ006 which took off in bad weather from the wrong runway at Chiang Kai-shek Airport in Taiwan on 31 October 2000. The MDS system is capable of identifying exact aircraft location, and identifying the aircraft itself, in all weather conditions. Sensis is presenting the system to Taiwan authorities, rather than SES, because their discussions predate the newly-signed cooperation agreement.
SES has already presented the MDS system to authorities at Changi Airport in Singapore.
"Almost every airport in Asia is a potential customer," says Lee Kit Su, director of marketing, marketing division for SES. "It gives the air traffic controller a tool that overcomes the limitations of conventional products like primary radar."
The system costs from $1.5-$3 million, says Lee, depending on the airport, adding that it is lower than the price of primary radar, which can cost $5 million or more.
"In five to 10 years, every major international airport should have this system," says Lee, citing an ICAO recommendation that guided surface surveillance should be installed in all airports. That recommendation will soon adopted in Asia, Lee says, adding that the system has no real competition. "Other companies have products, but nobody has ever won a contract except Sensis."
Beneficial
MDS is a transponder-based system that uses multiple receivers to capture aircraft transponder pulses, and calculate its position and identification. The use of multiple receivers has proven to be a reliable and tested surveillance solution that is revolutionising aviation safety, says SES.
"Sensis is the market leader in this cutting-edge technology," says SES president Chang Yew Kong. "We are confident that with this partnership we will redefine the level of airport surveillance standards in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The MDS system will be beneficial to our customers.
Source: Flight Daily News
