ATCBI-6

ATCBI-6 Long-Range Beacon Radar Set - A Long-Range Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator Model 6 (ATCBI-6) radar set built by the Raytheon Company. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected the Raytheon Company's ATCBI-6 beacon system on 4 Aug 1998 to replace the aging ATCBI-3, ATCBI-4, and ATCBI-5 beacon sets in the en route Air Traffic Control System. The FAA awarded a contract potentially worth US$180 million to manufacture and install up to 152 ATCBI-6 systems. DT&E was completed in September 1999, and OT&E began in October 1999. Key site commissioning took place in April 2000. In August 2002, the FAA commissioned into service the first production ATCBI-6 system at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Operation The ATCBI-6 Beacon, with Mode S selective addressing capability, obtains information from en route aircraft, including identification, altitude, airspeed, and direction. The ATCBI-6 system integrates with existing primary surveillance radars (ARSR-4, CARSR, and FPS-117) operated by the FAA and the Department of Defense (DoD). The ATCBI-6M version supports the Mode 4 operation and appears to be deployed with all the ARSR-4 CONUS Sets (42). The regular ATCBI-6 is deployed at CARSR sites. The ATCBI-6 provides four commonly used modes, mode 1, mode 2, mode 3/A, and mode C. Mode 1 is used to ID military targets. Mode 2 is used to identify military aircraft missions. Mode 3/A is used to identify each aircraft in the radar's coverage area. Mode C is used to report an aircraft's altitude. Mode 3/A is designated as the common military/civil mode for air traffic control use. The distribution of Mode 3/A codes is governed by The National Beacon Code Allocation Plan (NBCAP) laid out in FAA orders. Mode S is a discrete selective interrogation that ignores interrogations not addressed with a unique identity code. Mode 4 is not considered part of the ATCRBS system, but it uses the same transmit and receiver hardware. Mode 4 is used by military aircraft for the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system. Mark XII Mode 4 technology is the current military standard for U.S. and NATO countries. In 1995 the US Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered the development of a new Mode 5 to replace the current Mode 4 system. The transition to the new Mark XIIA Mode 5 equipment is now in process and will require a major effort for the U.S. military over the next 10-15 years. Training The FAA conducts in-house training on the ATCBI-6/6M beacon system in Course FAA40675 titled "(40675} ATCBI-6/6M EHOT". The course is 120 hours long with 16 hours of lecture and 88 hours of lab work. Class size is 4 persons and they plan to conduct 10 classes in calendar year 2019 at their training academy. ATCBI-6 Beacon Radar ATCBI-6 Beacon Radar Element Value Notes Nomenclature ATCBI-6 Origins ATCBI-3 ATCBI-4 ATCBI-5 Variants ATCBI-6M Manufacturer Raytheon Type Beacon Number in NAS 87~ ATCBI-6 42 ATCBI-6M Target Capacity 1,400 IEEE Band L-Band Transmit Frequency 1,030 MHz Receive Frequency 1,090 MHz Antenna MonoPulse Waveform ATCBI-6 ATCRBS/Mode S ATCBI-6M ATCRBS/Mode S/Mode 4 Power Range 225 mi (362 km) Long-Range Altitude 100k Feet Introduced First production Model Commissioned August 2002 at Tinker AFB Early View of ATCBI-6. See Also: US Radar Sets Sources: FAA Order JO7110.65F Effective 3 Jun 2019 - National Beacon Code Allocation Plan (NBCAP) FAA Order JO7110.65T, Effective 11 Feb 2010, Subject: Air Traffic Control, Section2. Beacon Systems. Raytheon - Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) TelInstrument - Mode 5 Links: Forecast International - ATCBI-6 (2005) FAA Classes