The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is at the completion stage of its pet project, the Wide Area Multilateration(WAM) system, which is surveillance system to cover the Nigeria’s delta region.
The agency said it has recorded a milestone with the handover of 29 sites by the agency to ERA /CWA for system parts installation, including all construction works necessary for system commissioning, daily operations and maintenance.
The handover was formalised recently with signing of the Site Handover Certificate by both parties. The Director, Safety Electronics Engineering Services, Farouk Umar, presided on behalf of the agency while ERA of Czech Republic was represented by their subcontractors, Cathedral (West Africa) CWA.
Oil and gas activities occasioned a lot of helicopter operations in the Niger Delta and the purpose of WAM is to capture these flight operations that are outside the radar coverage areas in the country.
This is done for safety and security purposes and according to the agency, benefits of the system include the provision of low-cost extension of the surveillance coverage for low altitudes and areas where no radar coverage currently exists; optimization of surveillance infrastructure through the efficient mix of radar sensors, MLAT and ADS-B; increased airspace safety and capacity by providing separation to aircraft operating in the region; the project upon completion, will provide additional source of revenue for the agency and MLAT applications, particularly when combined with Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) to provide important operational improvements by addressing some of the limitations of the traditional radar surveillance system, optimize the controller workload and provide benefits in the areas of safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental impact, thus contributing to the overall Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) objectives.
Multilateration Surveillance Technology (MST) requested by NAMA includes necessary services e.g. installation, optimization and commissioning of the WAM system for Nigeria.
This incorporates the supply and installation of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system at Port Harcourt International airport with the ATM display for Area 1- Port Harcourt, Area 2 -Qua’iboe /Calabarand Area 3 -Osubi /Escravos in a single ATM Centre.
It also includes the installation of equipment at all sites, the supply and installation of equipment of Central Processing Unit; the supply and installation of Control Working Positions; the provision of system having capacity for management of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS); the provision of all ancillary equipment which the system may require for its operation e.g. GNSS antenna /receiver etc and the provision of training for ATC and maintenance engineers.
