FLORIDA Airspace monitoring and management system

The FLORIDA airspace surveillance system was an air traffic control system of the Swiss Air Force by the manufacturer Hughes Aircraft Company in Fullerton, California, United States.

History

The FLORIDA airspace monitoring and management system was taken about 1970 and replaced the previous SFR - air surveillance system. With the FLORIDA system is now a continuous air surveillance was possible. In contrast to the SFR system, the FLORIDA system was already partially automated, which the radar data output was concerned, and was, together with the monitoring able to calculate Abfangkurse. The radar antennas can be ( such as strong winds or thunderstorms / lightning ) and military attacks drive into the mountains for protection from meteorological influences. The construction work, especially in the touristy Pilate were visible far and did not let himself be kept secret. The FLORIDA system had reached its useful life after the year 2001. Furthermore, since the requirements of the 9/11 rose and the processing of up to 400 flying objects at the same time could not keep up with the development of the rise in air traffic, the FLORIDA system was replaced by the current airspace monitoring and guidance system FLORAKO in 2003.

Technology

FLORIDA, the system can be divided into three main components:

The four radar antennas on the peak locations

The rotating radar antennas consisted of a primary radar and secondary radar on the primary radar, respectively. They could be fully retracted into the mountain summit was automatically closed by a massive gate. The height locations were also equipped with Flabgeschützen in rotatably coupling for self-defense.

The operational centers

There were several operational centers exist, protected operational centers in mountain caverns (these were later on the FLORAKO system retrofitted ) and an operations center for peacetime in Dübendorf, this is right next to the surveillance squadron building and is now used by the civilian Skyguide as a test center. The consoles were equipped with a trackball ( forerunner of the computer mouse) and allowed each radar track edit quickly when the FLORIDA system could not identify itself automatically him. Each console had several number display, the Head of the hunter is always the current intercept for the flying aircraft under his leadership to a selected destination. These data provided the hunters head on radio in the Bambini code. also any operations center was equipped with a large status board which indicated the most important information of all military airfields.

The computing center

The computer center consists primarily of the computing system with the appropriate peripherals ( magnetic tape, printers, punch cards and paper tape ) and the interface devices (interfaces ) for data communication with the local (on-screen consoles, status board, etc.) and external subsystems ( Redundant computing centers, radar stations, Bl- 64 positions, direction finders, etc.), the computer can process data from up to 400 aircraft simultaneously.

Tasks

  • Formation of an adjusted, identified overall air situation on the basis of the transmitted local air layers of different radar stations. Continuous updating of the data.
  • Data communication with all the systems FLORIDA integrated internal and external subsystems.
  • Provision of data to represent the air situation display consoles as well as the readiness and condition of the own funds on the status board in the air defense area.
  • Calculation of solutions for use by hunters, or missile to combat enemy aircraft at the request of the operator ( air defense ).
  • Calculation and display of constantly updated guide data corresponding to the selected operating procedures for the attention of the operator.
  • Maintenance capability of the operational software and the test software and Simulation of excellent air bases for the training of police personnel.

Gallery

A FLORIDA radar antenna, Status Board, 2 consoles and a complete computer center are today in the flyer Flab Museum Dübendorf.

FLORIDA computer

FLORIDA computer

FLORIDA computer

FLORIDA operations center

FLORIDA RADAR

Ex - FLORIDA operations center building

Swell

  • Aviator Flab Museum Dübendorf
  • Alber Wüst: The Swiss air defense. 2011, ISBN 978-3-905616-20-0
  • Military Monuments in the Air Force ( PDF)
  • Overview of Swiss aviation radar systems
  • Florida radar system at 5:35 on YouTube
  • Air War
  • Military technology
  • Radar
  • Air defense weapon
  • Military technology ( Swiss Army )
  • Swiss Air Force
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