South African communications and defence electronics company, Tellumat, has landed an order for X-band transponders from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Marc Anderson, Business Development and Marketing Manager for Tellumat Defence (Cape Town), made the announcement at the Aero India 2007 exhibition in Bangalore.
"The XBT-2000P will be installed at remote island airfields to assist in positioning and identifying the landing zone using an aircraft's X-band weather or surveillance radar in standard or beacon-mode, resulting in a safer approach and landing," says Anderson.
The transponder provides a response to sweeps from the aircraft's radar, which is detected, decoded and superimposed on the primary radar picture in the aircraft.
In beacon-mode, the transponder response includes a 4-pulse identification code that allows for up to a maximum of sixteen transponders to be uniquely identifiable and to operate within the coverage area of the radar. If the aircraft radar has beacon mode, the identification code of the transponder can be included in the cockpit display.
Operating in normal mode, the transponder transmits a single pulse in response to a successful interrogation from the aircraft's primary radar. This pulse will be displayed as in the case of beacon-mode but represents range only.
The primary application of the beacon-mode X-band transponder is to enhance safety of aircraft operations in a maritime environment, particularly under conditions of poor visibility conditions or confusing situations, such as a busy oilfield with many platforms. As such, the XBT-2000P is well suited for use on sea-going platforms such as oilrigs and ships with heli-decks.
"Tellumat can provide airfield and platform operators off the Indian sub-continent and Africa with a range of electronic systems, products and services," says Anderson. "Our extensive experience in the military field puts us in good stead in the harsh remote airfield and oilrig environments."
The original magnetron-based XBT-2000 was designed and produced by Tellumat in the early 1990s for military special forces. Later enhancements included a chip-and-wire solid state transmitter. This transponder has been sold to a number of foreign special forces, naval customers and oilrig operators.
The customer, AAI, manages 126 airports across India, which includes 11 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves at defence airfields. AAI also provides air traffic management services over the entire Indian air space and adjoining oceanic areas, with ground installations at all airports and 25 other locations to ensure safety of aircraft operations.
Tellumat's head office and facilities are based in Cape Town, South Africa and are strategically situated to provide support to the India, Brazil, South Africa inter-government co-operation initiative.
Share