Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC)
Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC)
Description
Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) is a runway safety tool. With ASSC, both controllers and pilots with ADS-B In and cockpit displays see aircraft and ground vehicles on the airport surface, and on approach and departure paths within a few miles of the airport.
ASSC improves surface surveillance and situational awareness in all kinds of weather. ASSC is similar to a prior system deployed in the U.S. called the Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X).
The ASSC system receives input from:
- ASDE-3 surface movement radar
- ASSC multilateration remote units
- ADS-B
- Airport Surveillance Radar/Mode-S
- Terminal automation for the flight plan data
ASSC fuses this data to produce a highly accurate display for controllers to show aircraft and ground vehicles on the surface movement area, and on arrival and departure routes. Pilots with TIS-B and cockpit displays can also receive ASSC data. This data is also transmitted to other FAA systems, including Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), SWIM, and Runway Status Lights.
Benefits
- Helps prevent runway collisions
- Improves situational awareness
- Covers airport from arrival through departure paths within a few miles of the airport
- Correlates flight-plan information with position displays
- Provides surveillance data with an accuracy and update rate suitable for:
- Situational awareness in all weather conditions
- Departure queuing
- Conflict detection and alerts
- Taxi route conformance monitoring
Related articles
Further Reading
- Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC), external link