Bird-aircraft strikes pose a significant safety hazard to aircraft, pilots and passengers and, according to government studies, cost military and commercial aviation over $2 billion each year due to aircraft loss and damage, out-of-service delays and lost lives.
The MERLIN System
DeTect’s MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar system is the first production model bird strike radar system and is the very advanced and widely-used technology available for bird-aircraft strike hazard (BASH) management and for real-time detection, tracking and alerting of hazardous bird activity at commercial airports, military airfields, and military training and bombing ranges. The MERLIN avian radar is proven, operational technology with over 180 MERLIN systems currently operating at sites worldwide in aviation safety and environmental applications.
MERLIN has a documented record in reducing bird strikes, increasing safety and reducing aircraft damage and delay costs at both military and commercial airfields. MERLIN is also the only bird radar system to have been evaluated and certified for real-time, tactical flight safety use by the US government (NASA and the USAF) and is the only bird radar approved for and in use at a commercial airport control tower under national flight safety standards. The MERLIN technology includes a wide range of unique features and benefits not available with any other system:
MERLIN has a documented record in reducing bird strikes, increasing safety and reducing aircraft damage and delay costs at both military and commercial airfields. MERLIN is also the only bird radar system to have been evaluated and certified for real-time, tactical flight safety use by the US government (NASA and the USAF) and is the only bird radar approved for and in use at a commercial airport control tower under national flight safety standards. The MERLIN technology includes a wide range of unique features and benefits not available with any other system:
- Operational, production-model technology
- Real-time display of bird activity with the higher available update rates
- Precise, tactical, automated bird-aircraft strike risk alerts to controllers & pilots
- Mobile, real-time information displays for airfield bird control units
- Detects birds from ground level to above aircraft operational altitudes
- Full 3D airspace coverage & data
- State-of-the-art solid-state S-band Doppler radar technology
- Reliable bird detection in up to moderate fog, rain & snow conditions
- Military-grade bird detection tracking algorithms & clutter suppression
- Real-time target filtering by size & mass for hazardous bird activity
- Operating software developed specifically for detection & tracking of birds
- Simultaneous multi-range operation to support both ATC & bird control
- Multi-functional for simultaneous bird & drone detection
- Full remote control and real-time information display to multiple users
- SQL datasystem with automatic daily report generation engine
- Complete design, installation, commissioning & long-term support
- Comprehensive parts & labor warranty & performance guarantees