ATC
An ATC remedy with side effects
One of the newest ATC techniques is multilateration, where several small unattended receiving stations are dispersed around an airport to monitor transpond

One of the newest ATC techniques is multilateration, where several small unattended receiving stations are dispersed around an airport to monitor transponder and TCAS transmissions from aircraft in the area. The received signals are then computer processed to pinpoint the exact location and identity of each aircraft. This data is then displayed to tower controllers to give them a much more accurate and faster updated local traffic picture than radar.

Multilateration is particularly valuable when integrated with the tower’s display from the airport surface-detection equipment (ASDE) at large airports, since it adds specific aircraft identification tags to the otherwise unidentifiable “skin paints” of objects moving on the surface. The FAA’s next-generation ASDE-X will incorporate multilateration in its basic design.