Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE)


Surveillance equipment specifically designed to detect aircraft, vehicular traffic, and other objects, on the surface of an airport, and to present theimage on a tower display. Used to augment visual observation by tower personnel of aircraft and/or vehicular movements on runways and taxiways. There are three ASDE systems deployed in the NAS:
  1. ASDE-3- a Surface Movement Radar.
  2. ASDE-X- a system that uses an X-band Surface Movement Radar, multilateration, and ADS-B.
  3. Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC)- A system that uses Surface Movement Radar, multilateration, and ADS-B.

Source: Pilot Contoller Glossary (PCG)