Leonardo to provide new radars improving the security of Qatari skies

29 December 2020

On 29th of November, Leonardo and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) signed a contract for an Approach Surveillance Radar System for the Hamad International Airport (HIA). The ceremony was attended by HE the Qatari Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti and the Italian Ambassador in Doha HE Mr Alessandro Prunas.

Following this latest contract, Leonardo will supply, install and commission a state-of-the-art Approach Surveillance Radar System, composed of a latest generation primary and secondary surveillance radars. The system will monitor aircraft movements within national airspace, drastically improving safety and security of Qatari skies in order to successfully meet the milestone of the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Leonardo Approach Surveillance Radar System, which represents a 360° field-proven solution, also benefits from a complete radar data processing and elaboration chain perfectly designed around the products themselves and tuned in order to ensure the accurate detection of targets. 

Hamad International Airport is one of Leonardo’s major achievements. The Company is responsible for the complete technological infrastructure of the airport which enables the provision of Air Traffic Control services for the Qatari airspace. These services encompass all primary and secondary air traffic control and ground surveillance sensors, the tower and approach control systems – inclusive of 36 controller working positions –, an automated departures and arrivals management system, a complete meteorological system, plus a computerized system for ground traffic management, and NAVAIDS.

Earlier this year, Leonardo was awarded a contract for the upgrade of the ATC Automation System originally provided to QCAA. With this upgrade, the existing system is being replaced with a ATC automation platform based on a state-of-the-art virtualized hardware architecture, enabling enhanced maintenance and minimising the lifecycle cost. 

Over 150 countries worldwide, including Italy and other European countries, Malaysia, Turkey, Singapore, Vietnam, as well as other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been provided with Leonardo’s radar systems, control centres, and other airport technologies. In the airport security field, the Company can also provide surveillance sensors, cyber security, communications, and baggage handling systems, ensuring efficient and reliable support to the airports operations.