- The first U.S. Department of Defense digital air traffic control tower is now live and in operation at the U.S. Army Garrison Katterbach in Ansbach, Germany
- Frequentis Defense’s contract with the U.S. Army delivers advanced digital tower capability with 4K and thermal cameras, radar integration, and enhanced situational awareness tools
Frequentis Defense, Inc. (FDI) has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) contract to deliver and validate a new remote tower system at Garrison Katterbach. The solution was built, installed, configured, and operationally tested by FDI, and will now be evaluated by the U.S. Army as a potential alternative to traditional fixed air traffic control infrastructure.
The digital tower deployment includes the use of 4K visual and thermal cameras and advanced features including bounding boxes to detect movements in the air and on the ground. It integrates data tags from radar tracks to enhance controller awareness and safety. Additionally, data layers highlight landmarks and distances around the airfield.
The control room is centrally located, enabling controllers working on different scenarios to be co-located for better collaboration. As a digital solution, the system is enhanced by integrating data from sensors, cameras, and radar to create a 360-degree panoramic out-the-window view with visual and thermal imaging in all weather conditions. By replacing outdated binoculars with advanced pan-tilt-zoom
cameras, air traffic controllers can significantly improve their ability to monitor the airspace and airfield, greatly enhancing situational awareness. Additionally, the digital information provided to the controller is recorded for after-action review and training purposes.
“Our partnership with the U.S. Army and the success of the digital tower installation at Katterbach are essential to demonstrating the operational feasibility of the digital tower for complex U.S. Army operations,” says Brian Bruckbauer, President, Frequentis Defense. “We are incredibly proud of our team for completing this first-of-its-kind program, and we’re excited about the upcoming DoD contracts we’ll be signing this year.”
This contract builds on successful operational tests of fixed and deployable systems carried out at Homestead ARB in Florida, Moody AFB in Georgia, and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. It reflects Frequentis’ commitment to supporting the U.S. DoD with innovative, safety-critical solutions for modern air traffic control.
