Air traffic controllers to get military’s primary radar data

Estonia’s air traffic controllers will soon be able to see the military’s radar data. The feed will automatically show them all the information the military has about aircraft in Estonian airspace that operate with their transponders switched off.
According to national air traffic company EANS, most of the preparations have been made, and they are currently in the process of acquiring the necessary security equipment. “As we are dealing with very specific and rather unusual equipment, the speed of the procurement process depends on the supplier,” EANS spokeswoman Elis Mäeots told ERR.
Kristo Vallimäe of the Civil Aviation Authority said that the situation was currently dealt with by regular information exchanges with the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), and that the military informed EANS in each individual case of aircraft entering Estonian airspace with their transponders switched off.
Incursions by Russian military aircraft have become more common in recent years. The aircraft typically spend between a few dozen seconds and a couple of minutes in Estonian airspace before leaving it again. In most cases they fly with their transponders turned off, which means that they are not detectable for EANS, but only on the military’s primary radar systems.
Editor: Dario Cavegn