Objective: 

Encroachment has transformed many military bases into refugia for a variety of wildlife, many of which are protected species. Birds provide a unique challenge among those wildlife requiring management. Collisions between birds and aircraft are an escalating concern for military and civilian aviation worldwide, resulting in more than $1 billion annually in both damage to aircraft and interruptions of air operations as well as placing passengers and air crews at risk. Birds, however, because of their mobility and diverse behaviors and habitats, are notoriously difficult and expensive to sample accurately. This project will demonstrate that avian radar systems can provide air safety personnel and natural resource management improved tools for automatically detecting and tracking resident and migratory birds in an effort to reduce birdstrike potential around airfields and low-level military training routes.

Technology Description: 

The project team will validate that inexpensive X-band radars, coupled with advanced digital signal processing and tracking algorithms, can detect and track birds and other biological targets in real time. Studies will be performed using existing radar systems at three geographic locations that have differing topographies, clutter environments, bird species, and densities. Once validated, two additional sites will be added to a network of seven existing avian radar systems employing the Accipiter® AR Radar Processor. These systems will be used to demonstrate and validate automated sampling protocols. Additionally, these systems will be used to demonstrate the ability to stream bird track data in real time across the Internet from multiple sites for storage, visualization, fusion, and integration of tracks. The open source data streaming will enable communication from multiple radars, sensors, and end-use applications.

Expected Benefits: 

This project will aid Department of Defense Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) managers in their efforts to reduce the number, cost, and danger of bird air-strikes as well as natural resource managers in their efforts to obtain the depth and breadth of data needed to strike a rational balance between protecting resident and migratory bird populations while ensuring no net loss in the installation's mission readiness. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2010)

Principal Investigator:

Ms. Marissa Brand

SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego

53560 Hull Street

San Diego, CA 92152-5001

Telephone: (619) 553-5334

Fax: (619) 553-6305

E-mail: marissa@spawar.navy.mil