The DASR system, which includes the radar and the radar controlfacility, allows Iraqi air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft upto 120 nautical miles away, permitting them to detect aircraft along their borders with Syria, Turkey and Iran.
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Ghani, Iraqi air force communications director, called the arrival of the system“another historical day” for the service. “Through that system, we willidentify more … aircraft entering our sovereignty,” he said at an Oct.26 ceremony.
The radar signal eventually will be remotely accessible from BaghdadInternational Airport so air traffic controllers can see all theairspace in Iraq.
The system also brings the Kirkuk airfield up to international civilaviation and surveillance standards, giving it the potential for futurecommercial airline use.
“We started this process by installing over $53 million of airtraffic control and navigation capabilities for the Iraqi air forcemore than three years ago,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Kane,director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission Air Force, said.
“Beginning in August of 2006, our governments, air forces andcivilian contractors cooperated to not only fund the purchase of thishighly technical equipment, but to train the Iraqi air force personnelhow to use it and maintain it,” Kane said. “I’m very proud to say thatthe Iraqi air force now possesses these capabilities.”
