DASR HISTORY

2_21_2003
ASR11 OT&E at Philadelphia........
The NATCA ASR-11 OT&E Team completed a two week Air Traffic User Evaluation at ACY and PHL on the Navy Willow Grove (NXX) ASR-11.  The evaluation was  for the STARS Interface at PHL.  The team had some reservations about the ASR-11 primary radar performance in the presence of weather and in the transitional phases of different levels of weather.  The ASR-11 velocity editor was set at 60 kts for this evaluation, as STARS utilizes a velocity editor set at 60 kts also.  Given the STARS utilization of numerous radar sites, the team approved the ASR-11 site for operational activation at PHL.  PHL plans to go IOC on March 6, 2003.

The OT&E Team consisted of Article 48 members: Perry Doggrell, Steve Boyer, Jim Green, Andy Chalot and PHL Tower member Gerry Turnbull.

The ASR-11/ARTS Interface evaluation is scheduled for Stockton, CA (SCK) from 3/31-4/11.  The team will review the list of Variable Site Parameters (VSPs) before they start OT&E in SCK.

1_31_2003
The NATCA Article 48 Workgroup traveled to SCK Jan 21-24 to observe a DVG Demonstration,  evaluate the Air Traffic training course and the Radar Control Panel (RCP).  The DVG Demo went well despite a problem in the transmission lines.  We have a couple of concerns about the RCP alarms.  The AT Training Course developed at OKC was excellent.  Interactivity and hands-on phase was very well done.  We also want to review the list of Variable Site Parameters (VSPs) before we start OT&E in Atlantic City and Philadelphia in February.

1_11_2003
The Stockton Digital Video Generator (DVG) Demo will take place January 22-23.  The Air Traffic User Observation and Evaluation of the ASR-11/STARS interface will take place in February 10-14 at the FAA WJH Tech Center and February 18-21 at PHL.  The NATCA Article 48 Team will participate in all three of these operations. 

11_24_2002
The ASR-11 Transition MOU was signed 10.17.2002.  (link to ASR-11 Transition MOU)

The FAA ASR-11 Technicians working on the SCK ASR-11 have reported great bounds in their progress.   They recently walked a software build through in record time and are stating the radar has improved such as night and day compared to the radar's previous performance.   We will see.

11_9_2002

Link to the  ASR-11 AEA Outreach Meeting Report  on October 16, 2002.

Waiver has been approved to deploy/install ASR-11 at 21 production sites. These systems will be maintained by ATB-440 until In-Service Decision (ISD) approval.

NATCA and FAA have completed Article 7 negotiations and the MOU is awaiting signatures.

PASS and FAA have conducted Article 70 negotiations. Obtained concurrence on closure plan for safety issues. Retrofits are to be completed at NXX/SCK by January 2003. Safety inspection scheduled pending completion of retrofits. MOU will be finalized upon completion of retrofits.

The ASR-11 ARTS IIE interface, using a Surveillance Data Translator (SDT) will be tested again during the OT&E at SCK and IOT&E tentatively planned at PBI [FAA is coordinating PBI (ARTS IIE) as substitute site for IOT&E. SCK is transitioning to NCT (ARTS IIIE) prior to IOT&E].

The ASR-11 STARS interface, using a System Interface Unit (SIU) – the first ASR-11/STARS FS-2+ site is NXX/PHL – will conduct testing at the WJHTech Center using ASR-11 live data from SCK and recorded data from VPS.

Micro-EARTS (SIU interface) was tested Jun 01 and ran error free at the Tech Center using recorded data from the SCK ASR-11. On site testing needs to be conducted by the FAA at Anchorage, AK, the first ASR-11/Micro EARTS site.

ARTS IIE with Radar Gateway (SIU interface) was initially tested at the Tech Center and further tests are planned. SCK/Northern California TRACON (NCT) will be the first ASR-11/ARTS IIIE with Radar Gateway site. Planned to be completed and tested in FAA OT&E starting Oct 02-Mar 03.

ARTCC (SIU interface) plans are to conduct initial testing at the Tech Center with an SIU connected to the HOST via an Advanced Serial Interface System 2 (ASIS-II).

8_31_2002
SCK ASR-11 has recently passed the 72  hour burn.  FAA and Raytheon have signed an agreement which permits the FAA Technicians (who have been working on the ASR-11 since the beginning) to start working on the system.  They feel that they can get the system tweaked to where we need it for operational use.  Raytheon has been working the system to meet contract requirements which are not the same as needed for ATC operational use.
OT&E now tentatively scheduled for February 2003.

2_18_2002
SCK ASR-11 is undergoing optimization with b472.  The NATCA ASR-11 Team will be traveling to SCK in early March to view the optimized system running the new build.

In early April, the ASR-11 Product Team Annual Meeting will take place in Tampa, FL.   This meeting will involve a plethora of those individuals working in this program.  The NATCA ASR-11 Team will attend.

2_14_2002
Earlier this week, software build 472 was installed at the Stockton, CA (SCK) ASR-11  and is now undergoing optimization.  The NATCA ASR-11 Team will be traveling to SCK in early March to preview the optimized system running build 472.

The proposed DVG Demo in SYR was postponed due to problems with the system.  NATCA has now selected a DVG Team for future evaluations.

1_15_2002
There will be a demonstration of the  Digital Video Generator (DVG), built by Sensis Corp, in Syracuse, NY the week of January 21st.   The DVG converts the older analog radar signal to a digital form so it can function with the digital STARS equipment.  Perry Dogrell (P31) and Andy Chalot (ERI) will represent NATCA at the demo.

1_1_2002
Software Build 471 has been installed at SCK and VPS.  Regression Testing is now taking place.   IOT&E is tentatively scheduled for September 2002.  MIT/Lincoln Labs report on the ASR-11 should be out any day now.

12_22_2001
Raytheon is in the process of optimizing the SCK ASR-11.  The NATCA ASR-11 Team may be visiting SCK in the January/February timeframe for another "snapshot" of the system.

11_21_2001
Last week, NATCA's Perry Doggrell, Steve Boyer and Andy Chalot (along with Wayne Wesley-PASS National Rep) viewed the Stockton ASR-11.  Build #460 experienced a minor snafu in software input (a couple system parameters were reversed - this has already been fixed with Build 470).   It affected the weather channel, so we could not  view it... no weather in SCK during our visit anyway.
This is "not an official report"...but, the target channel clutter problem seemed improved; however, we still noticed a couple problem areas in displaying tracks.   Build #470 is already complete and should already be installed on both radar systems (SCK and VPS) in test status.  The radar has yet to be optimized so we did not get to see the performance with which the system is capable of.
Phase 2 (Air Traffic portion) of OT&E has been delayed again and may take place in June/July 2002 timeframe.  Ideally, OT&E should take 2-3 weeks to complete followed by work to fix/improve any areas identified in OT&E.  Then IOT&E will take place after which time the FAA should be able to sign off on the system if all goes well and an acceptable system prevails.  The waterfall dates are optimistic but we are all pulling for Raytheon to field this system ASAP.

10_30_2001
NATCA will send Perry Doggrell, Steve Boyer and Andy Chalot to SCK mid November to observe Build 460 in operation.  The team will be a joint NATCA/FAA affair.  Build 460 has been installed at both VPS and SCK.  Build 460 was designed to address false tracks/plots/weather and several other items.  VPS had a demonstration three weeks ago which NATCA tried to attend but were denied the opportunity.  Phase 2 OT&E is now scheduled to commence March, 2002 (date may slip).

10_11_2001
In the September 11, 2001 meeting at Raytheon Corp. (Marlborough, MA), Raytheon advised they have "fixed" several of the deficiencies that controllers have been very concerned about.  Soon there will be a joint NATCA/FAA team visiting Stockton to view Build 460 and observe the operation of the ASR-11.

9_11_2001
Raytheon Marlborough Roundtable Meeting.  DoD, US Navy, USAF, US Army, NATCA, FAA HQ and several Raytheon divisions.  Andy Chalot attended this meeting for NATCA.  Wayne Wesley attended for PASS.  Raytheon advised build 460 (installed at VPS and SCK) was progressing very well. Concern was voiced about installing build 460 during regression testing after the ECPs.  Raytheon advised there should be no problems.  Raytheon advised they would have a DoD demo at VPS in October. NATCA advised that we would like to attend the demo.  The  basic answer was that they would like to limit the number of participants!!  reading between the lines... the concern was that if there were problems, information may be leaked to the media.  NATCA advised they were participating to assist in the progress of DASR. The meeting was terminated shortly after word was received of the terrorist activities.

9_6_2001
PASS has assigned a liaison to ASR-11.  Wayne Wesley is a radar technician for the ASR-9 from the Chicago area.

6_30_2001
Contrary to earlier reports, MOT&E at Eglin is not complete.  Raytheon will install a new build to the system and MOT&E will re-evaluate this new configuration.  Rumblings have the DASR not making much progress in key problem areas.

5_31_2001
Raytheon advised the FAA they should have an interim software build (addressing false targets/plots, filtering and weather) complete the end of July.  The next build should be complete by mid-October and a final build (if necessary) by end of December, 2001

5_15_2001
Eglin AFB completed MOT&E.  The initial AFOTEC Report  is due out circa month end.  No information is available yet on the performance of the ASR-11 during this test.   Digitizer testing is in progress at Marlboro, MA.  Additional digitzer testing   is in progress at McGuire AFB.

3_21_2001
Eglin AFB   restarts MOT&E today.  NATCA's Perry Doggrell will be making periodical visits to observe the process and progress.  Eglin is running ASR-11 and STARS mosaic... their GPN radar is not operating now.

3_8_2001
After NATCA's insistence, Raytheon has agreed to add a button on the Radar Control Panel (RCP) that will permit the manual or automatic function of the Linear Polarization/Circular Polarization (LP/CP) control.  The radar would automatically enter CP when a certain degree of weather would appear.  Controllers were unable to override this due to it's use to alleviate false targets/plots.  This feature was not in the approved design.

Raytheon has agreed to send a list of all the aural alarms that are activated on the RCP.  NATCA will have a team evaluate the list for what we want to create an aural alarm in the tower/TRACON.

Eglin AFB MOT&E has been scheduled to re-commence on the week of March 19th.  NATCA's Perry Doggrell will attend MOT&E.

3_2_2001
Eglin AFB  commenced testing Raytheon's Build 420 with live traffic.   Build 420 includes quality filtering which eliminates some primary radar targets.
The NOTAM D  issued  by Eglin AFB:
VPS SURVEILLANCE RADAR TESTING WITHIN A 55 NMR, FL230/BLW. TRAFFIC ADVISORY SERVICES MAY NOT BE AVBL CONCERNING NON-TRANSPONDER ACFT 02 MAR 02:30 UNTIL 31 MAY 05:00 1100-0500 MON-FRI

2_19_2001
Both NATCA and the FAA continue to have safety concerns about the quality filtering (the  current Raytheon fix  addressing the false target/plot problem) included in Build 400/410/420 and await the DOD's decision whether quality filtering  will be utilized in a live environment.  NATCA and the FAA recommend that DOD not use quality filtering.

Eglin AFB Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) was delayed again... possibly up to 3 weeks.  OT&E is still halted.  NATCA and the FAA have held numerous meetings with DoD  to discuss the progress/status of Raytheon's  ASR-11 at Eglin AFB.

~~ NEW ~~

Update 4_19_2003
SCK OT&E report above in ASR-11...Status header.

1_31_2003
The NATCA Article 48 Workgroup observed the SCK DVG Demonstration on Jan 21-24th.  Aditionally, the team evaluated the Air Traffic training course and the Radar Control Panel (RCP).  The DVG Demo went well despite a problem in the transmission lines.  We have a couple of concerns about the RCP alarms.  The AT Training Course developed at OKC was excellent.  Interactivity and hands-on phase was very well done.  

1.11.2003
The Digital Video Generator (DVG) Demo will take place January 22-23.  This will give the team a chance to observe the ASR-11 since FAA techs have been working their magic

10.16.2002
Hardware Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) regression testing was completed in March 2002.
Site Acceptance Test (SAT) was completed in August 2002.
Since Raytheon/DoD provided bailment agreement (conditional acceptance) – allowing the FAA to perform pre-OT&E activities (optimization) and minor software mods, there has been several improvements noted by the technicians. These software mods are to be incorporated into production items upon successful testing/contract negotiations.
Initiated development/modification of Radar Control Panel (RCP) and Digital Video Generator (DVG) enhancements for user evaluation.
Safety retrofits to be installed prior to OT&E user evaluation.
OT&E start date October 21, 2002.   This will tell the true story on the status of the ASR-11.

10.3.2002
Word from the SCK ASR-11... favorable reports as to the progress on eliminataing false targets/plots and overall improvement on the system.  Controller OT&E still slated for February 2003.

8.31.2002
The FAA ASR-11 in SCK(Stockton, CA) recently passed a critical 72 burn test.
Raytheon and the FAA have recently signed an agreement, which enables the FAA technicians to start working on the SCK system. The system has been fine-tuned to meet the contract-required specifications, which are not the same as our operational needs (we hope this does not happen with future systems now that NATCA and PASS are represented on future design teams). Now that our FAA "Techs" have been cleared to work on the system, they can set it up for our operational needs. This should get the system ready for OT&E, which is now scheduled for February 2003.

6.29.2002
OT&E for Stockton is now tentativley scheduled for late 2002 to early 2003.

5.15.2002
The ASR-11 Article 48 Workgroup released the Quick Look Operational Assessment Final Report.   OT&E is slated to take place some time this fall.

4_12_2002
The annual ASR-11 Product team meeting took place at St Pete Beach, FL from April 8-12.  Discussions covered a host of topics, including: addressing the current deficiency reports (false plots/tracks, weather, dropped tracks, etc.), redundant data transmission at only select sites, training (AF and AT), maintenance of ASR-11 before going operational, upgraded training materials, communications between all interested parties (ATB, NATCA and regional branches).

3.25.2002
Perry Doggrell and Andy Chalot (from NATCA ASR-11 Art 48 Team) visited Stockton on March 5th and 6th to participate in an "Operational Assessment" of ASR-11 running software build 472.  The Executive Summary results of that test are listed in the attached file.  (SCK OpAsmt)

2_18_2002
Last week, software build 472 was installed at the Stockton, CA (SCK) ASR-11  and is now undergoing optimization.  The NATCA ASR-11 Team will be traveling to SCK in early March to view the optimized system running the new build.

The proposed DVG Demo in SYR was postponed due to problems with the system.  NATCA has now selected a DVG Team for future evaluations.

1_15_2002
There will be a demonstation of the  Digital Video Generator (DVG), built by Sensis Corp, in Syracuse, NY the week of January 21st.   The DVG converts the older analog radar signal to a digital form so it can function with the digital STARS equipment.  Perry Dogrell (P31) and Andy Chalot (ERI) will represent NATCA at the demo.

1_3_2002
Software Build 471 has been installed at both SCK and VPS.  This software build should address those items previously identified as deficiencies and government requested upgrades.  Regression Testing is now taking place.   IOT&E is tentatively scheduled for September 2002.  The MIT/Lincoln Labs report on the ASR-11 should be released very soon.

11_21_2001
Regression testing and evaluation delayed until Build 470 is installed.  Phase 2 OT&E now tentatively planned for June/July 2002.  

10_30_2001
NATCA will send Perry Doggrell, Steve Boyer and Andy Chalot to SCK in mid November to observe Build 460 in operation.  The team will be a joint NATCA/FAA affair.  Build 460 has been installed at both VPS and SCK.  Build 460 was designed to address false tracks/plots/weather and several other deficiencies.  Phase 2 OT&E is now scheduled to commence March, 2002 (date may slip).

9_6_2001
MSSR retrofits should be completed by now.  Regression testing and evaluation should start any day and SAT preparations and dry runs should soon follow.  OT&E is tentatively planned for January, 2002.

ASR-11 OT&E Phase 1A, conducted from Feb20/01 to Mar 9/01, dealt mainly with the Airways Facilities side of the system.  The "Quick Look" report was published May 18th and was not all inclusive as many of Raytheons ECP's were not complete.  There were 112 Discrepancy Reports... 51 Category 1 (critical) and the remainder Cat 2 (moderate).  All must be resolved before the DASR could go operational.  The Air Traffic portion of OT&E, Phase 2 ,  due to start in June/01,  has been postponed to at least Feb, 2002 !!

ASR-11 OT&E Phase 1 was completed on December 1, 2000 at Stockton, CA.  Accepted Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) are now being installed.  Phase 2 will commence upon completion of ECP install and optimization.  NATCA OT&E Team will be involved with Phase 2 , currently scheduled to take place sometime during Summer, 2001.  On completion of OT&E, another procedure called Independent OT&E (IOT&E) will ensue.

STOCKTON   OPERATIONAL  INVENTORY

NATCA and the FAA performed an ASR-11 Operational Inventory (OI) on the  Stockton (SCK)  ASR-11 on June 27 through 29, 2000.  NATCA was represented on the OI evaluating team and was instrumental in the formulation of the final report.   The current major problems are false targets/plots/tracks, clutter, absence of actual weather in certain areas,  false weather depiction (has interpreted some clutter as weather up to level 6) and an automatic LP/CP switch with no manual override during weather conditions.   NATCA is taking a proactive role in the acceptance procedure.     There are numerous Deficiency Reports (DRs) still outstanding.  Unlike many historical FAA systems requiring continual upgrades, revisions and maintenance to be a useful tool, NATCA is insisting on fielding a system that is ready to safely control traffic when the keys are handed over.  The DOD seems to be more prone to accepting some of the shortcomings of ASR-11.
            ASR-11 Operational Inventory Results Report

8.31.2002
Earlier this month the Eglin ASR-11 has re-entered the MOT&E process.

3.20.2002
VPS is running build 472 on weekends only, in test mode.

1.1.2002
VPS is now running software build 471.  Testing is ongoing.

11.21.2001
Build 470 is now installed at VPS in test basis on weekends only.  They continue to run ASR-11 operationally during weekdays utilizing Build 420 and the early version of STARS.

Eglin AFB's Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) is not complete as previously reported.  Raytheon will be installing a new "build" to address deficiencies that have yet to be rectified.  MOT&E will re-evaluate the DASR when the new build is installed.

Eglin AFB completed MOT&E.  We will now await the AFOTEC report on the ASR-11.   Testing of the latest "build" of the ASR-11 at Eglin AFB (VPS) is again in progress.  This build is addressing problems at Eglin AFB (VPS) but does not deal with the problem pertaining to the loss of primary targets.  The VPS NOTAM (issued due to ASR-11 filtering and thresholding that causes the loss of some primary radar targets) warns pilots that some traffic alerts may not be available involving non transponder equipped aircraft.  Their radar target may not appear on the VPS radar scope.

The DOD ASR-11 test site is at Eglin AFB, FL (VPS).  It is being tested in conjunction with STARS.   Although, the DOD's version of STARS is a little different than the FAA's, both systems are currently operational at VPS.  DOD is using a version of STARS that was rejected by the original NATCA STARS Team due to non transparent windows which concealed data behind it.

DOD has been trying to get the weather related Category 1 DR's downgraded to Category 2.  They state that weather is advisory in nature and does not meet the requirements of Category 1 ( those being a threat to life or possibility of damage to equipment or property).  NATCA feels that the first aircraft vectored through a Level 6  Thunderstorm (not depicted on the radar scope) could rapidly attain all three requirements.  We feel the absence of real weather and/or  the presence of   false weather jeapordize safety.

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