DASR improves mission effectiveness, Italian partnership

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Deana Heitzman
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  The 31st Operations Support Squadron recently added a new piece of radar technology to better improve the detection and display of aircraft around Aviano's airspace.

Capt. Raul Cantualla, 31st OSS airfield operations flight commander, along with his fellow air traffic control team, successfully upgraded their original radar system to the newer Digital Airport Surveillance Radar system last month.

"Our previous radar tower was more than seven years past its life expectancy and if it would have failed, the flying mission here would have been halted," said Cantualla.

This system provides more reliable and accurate radar readings, while giving controllers clearer, high-definition screens to decipher exact aircraft locations.

The Federal Aviation Administration mandated the installation of the DASR systems throughout the Air Force. With the technological advance, Cantualla had to ensure proper coordination and communication with our Italian Air Force counterparts. Because the system was the first of its kind to appear in Italy, the base was not the only organization involved with the success of this installment.

"The initial thoughts for the Italian DASR program started in 2008. Since then, we have coordinated with the base, the FAA, the Aeronautica Militare and U.S. Embassy to complete this project," Cantualla. "This new system allowed for us to strengthen our partnership through equipment installation and development of new training and procedure guidelines."

Most U.S. controllers have used DASR system at previous duty locations. When the program officially broke ground at Aviano four years ago, it posed a new challenge for Italian and U.S. controllers.

"Many controllers have been using the old system for over 20 years," said Tech. Sgt. Natalie Thompson, 31 OSS airfield automatic manager NCO in charge.  "Most controllers had a sentimental or emotional attachment to the old system, but they were extremely excited to work on the technologically advanced system."

After only brief exposure to the new system, Italian and US controllers noted the ease of operation and how its features could enhance the flow of information between American and Italian controllers.

"The system is a terrific upgrade for us," said Maresciallo di Prima Classe (MSgt) Fabio Palombi, Aeronautica Militare air traffic controller. "The screens are easier to read and the accuracy of the system interface is astonishing. It is going to enable us to add more maps to our work stations in the event of an emergency, and efficiency of data transmission to our American counterparts is going to undergo exponential improvement."

Throughout the next few years, Aviano will see more improvements to support the FAAs mission to upgrade all old equipment.

"With the help from our Italian Air Force counterparts, the transition to the new technology further advanced our warfighting capabilities," said Cantualla. "The new radar is currently being used in the Radar Approach Control room and displayed in the ATC tower."