Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar

Birdstrikes pose a significant safety hazard to aviation and, according to studies, cost military and commercial aviation over $2 billion each year due to aircraft loss and damage, out-of-service delays and lost lives.

DeTect's MERLIN™ system

DeTect’s MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar system is the most advanced and proven bird radar technology available for bird-aircraft strike hazard (BASH) management and for real-time detection and tracking of hazardous bird activity at military airfields, military training and bombing ranges, and commercial airports. The MERLIN bird radar is proven technology with over 45 systems currently operating at sites worldwide in aviation safety and environmental applications with documented results in reducing birdstrikes, increasing safety and reducing aircraft damage and delay costs. MERLIN offers a wide range of unique features and benefits not available with any other system:

• Operational, production-model technology
• Real-time display of bird activity
• Continuous, real-time, automatic warning & alerting of birdstrike risk
• Detects birds from ground level to above aircraft operational altitudes
• State-of-the-art solid state radar technology
• All weather bird detection in fog, rain and snow
• Military grade tracking algorithms, clutter suppression & insect filtering
• Proven technology tested, validated & operationally used by the USAF, US Navy & NASA

With MERLIN, users get more than just a radar - each MERLIN system is supported by DeTect's experts in military and commercial aviation safety, air traffic control, airfield management, airfield bird control and radar remote sensing to provide a cost-effective system that integrates seamlessly and effectively into airfield or airport operations.

To view video of how the MERLIN system software works and of the MERLIN system displays, Click Here (requires Adobe Shockwave/Flash Player).

The MERLIN operating software was specifically developed to track the unique characteristics of birds and provides superior performance over systems using modified aircraft or marine radar software. The standard MERLIN system uses a dual vertical and horizontal scanning radar configuration to provide simultaneous 3D coverage with dedicated scanning of runways and approach and departure corridors from the ground level up to 15,000 ft AGL and around the airfield out to 8 miles. A key feature of MERLIN is its wide-beam coverage that detects and provides real-time alerts of hazardous bird activity from aircraft flight operational altitudes to the ground level. With MERLIN's military grade clutter suppression the system provides continuous bird detection from the ground level and up to flight altitudes (85% of damaging and hazardous birdstrikes occur below 200 feet during aircraft take-offs and landings).

MERLIN systems are available in mobile and fixed installation configurations. For large, multi-runway airports and airfields, multiple fixed-mount sensor packages are installed around the airfield and networked to provide optimal coverage of the airfield and the area around the airport (out to 8 miles) with dedicated monitoring of each runway and runway approach and departure corridors.

Advantages of MERLIN include:

• Automated real-time monitoring, warning and alerting of birdstrike risk
• User-selectable visual, audible and messaging risk alert options
• Detection and tracking software developed specifically for aviation safety
• Developed and supported by top BASH and aviation safety experts
• Proven in airport, military airfield and training range installations worldwide
• Fully remote viewable and controllable through LAN, WAN, Internet & wireless
• Wide range of standard & custom functions & features
• Used by the US Air Force, NASA and major airports for real-time flight safety

Engineered for Operational Airfield/Airport Environments

Bird track data is displayed in real time on local and remote monitors in standard aviation PAR and PPI display formats on high resolution monitors with user selectable display options that include color-coded symbols, unique identifiers for birds and aircraft, target trails and target tags with a range of attribute display options. DeTect's MERLIN ATC (Air Traffic Control) additionally software continuously monitors bird activity in the runway approach and departure corridors automatically determining the current birdstrike risk for each corridor with the risk displayed onto the screen in color-coded text (as LOW, MODERATE, or SEVERE risk levels). Tower controllers, airfield managers and bird control staff are automatically alerted to changes in the risk condition by user-selectable visual, audible and text message warning options. MERLIN ATC is the only proven automated bird strike risk monitoring and alerting system available on the market and represents the state-of-the-art in real time birdstrike risk management for commercial airports and military airfields.

All target data attributes are also continuously written to MERLIN’s database for archiving and analysis with the Data Analyzer software that includes standard “point-and-click” queries using MERLIN SQL Server. With the MERLIN Reporter option, the system automatically generates a set of standard management reports and emails them to users at the end of each 24 hour period. Data are also exportable to a GIS for integration into customer resource and planning databases. MERLIN additionally includes an optional incident recorder module that retains 48-72 hours of full radar data to support event and mishap investigations.

Production Model Technology

MERLIN uses state-of-the-art solid-state S-band radar sensors that provide all weather detection and tracking of birds even in fog, rain and snow. The solid-state S-band technology offers superior performance over X-band, magnetron-based bird radar systems which are susceptible to false positives from insect contamination and are "blind" in wet fog or even light rain. Low visibility conditions such as wet fog and rain represent the highest risk period to aircraft as bird control units, controllers and pilots cannot see the birds and the birds cannot "see and avoid" aircraft. MERLIN systems are available in mobile and custom, multi-sensor fixed configurations for coverage of larger airports and for military airfields with multiple runways to provide full 3D airspace coverage with precise altitude data on bird targets.

MERLIN is a fully integrated and engineered system and includes temperature and humidity controlled field technician equipment consoles/enclosures, radar data processors and software, radar towers, and military/AOA airfield lighting and marking. Mobile MERLIN systems are fully mission deployable via ground, ship or air transport for forward-base use. With the optional secondary surveillance radar (SSR) and multi-function HARRIER surveillance and weather options, the MERLIN system can support military theater operating delivering simultaneous, real-time birdstrike risk management, weather/lightning detection and/or airspace and perimeter surveillance and intrusion alerting, all from a single, compact fully mobile and self-contained platform.

Wide Range of Features & Functions

MERLIN systems are engineered and constructed to high quality industrial and military specifications and are designed for long-term, exterior use in adverse climate conditions. Custom, installation-specific configurations are also available with a wide variety of optional and custom features to enhance system operations and utility that includes full remote real-time data display to multiple users, custom display layouts, full system remote control, data delivery through consolidated systems such as IDS4 and IDS5, and delivery of real-time bird activity and bird strike risk alerts to air traffic control towers, range control towers, bird control offices and vehicles, operations offices, and aircraft cockpits via wireless, LAN, uplink, pager, text messaging and email systems. MERLIN includes highly reliable, proven technologies and can also operate as a multi-function radar through add-on modules that allow the same system to be used as a birdstrike avoidance, aircraft tracking, and/or security platform concurrently.

Expert Application Support

With MERLIN, users are getting more than a radar system DeTect provides comprehensive application support with each MERLIN system that includes full concept-of-operations (CONOPS) development, system integration and site-specific operation training and long-term support. Each system is supported by DeTect's team of application specialists who have extensive backgrounds and experience in radar systems, BASH management and airfield operations. Staff resources supporting each MERLIN deployment include a former Chief of the US Air Force BASH Team, a former Head of US Air Force Europe Bird Control and a support team of experts in radar ornithology and BASH with experience gained on projects at over 200 airports and airfields worldwide. MERLIN systems are offered for sale, long-term lease or short-term rental, with or without DeTect operators and are backed by a three-year full parts and labor warranty. SInce 2003, MERLIN systems have logged over 500,000 hours of operating time with an established record of high system uptime, high reliability and low maintenance and repair costs.

For more information on the MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar, download our MERLIN brochure (1700 kb) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) or contact us for a complete features and function catalog.