{"id":2900,"date":"2026-06-26T09:14:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T01:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/?post_type=cases&p=2900"},"modified":"2026-06-26T09:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T01:24:24","slug":"radar-and-thermal-camera-fusion-for-24-7-bird-strike-prevention-at-a-hub-airport","status":"publish","type":"cases","link":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/cases\/radar-and-thermal-camera-fusion-for-24-7-bird-strike-prevention-at-a-hub-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Radar and Thermal Camera Fusion for 24\/7 Bird Strike Prevention at a Hub Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Project Snapshot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
M\u1ee5c<\/strong><\/td>\nDetails<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ng\u00e0nh c\u00f4ng nghi\u1ec7p<\/strong><\/td>\nCivil Aviation \/ Airport Operations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Region<\/strong><\/td>\nNortheast Asia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Environment<\/strong><\/td>\nCoastal hub airport in a high bird-activity region, located near protected wetland and estuarine habitats along a major migratory route<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Core Challenge<\/strong><\/td>\nNo real-time bird detection at night or in adverse weather; no early warning range; no flock quantification data<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Radar Deployed<\/strong><\/td>\n2 \u00d7 MR-RDT10K Low-Altitude Surveillance Radar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Camera Deployed<\/strong><\/td>\n7 \u00d7 MR-HTVC12035-2132 Long-Range PTZ Thermal Camera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Platform<\/strong><\/td>\nUnified bird risk management platform \u2014 GIS display, risk zoning, automated alerts, playback, statistics, tablet field interface<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Duration<\/strong><\/td>\n24 months (12 months construction + 12 months seasonal optimization)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Key Outcome<\/strong><\/td>\n24\/7 all-weather bird monitoring across all runway zones with automated risk grading and real-time field team dispatch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/h2>\n

Background<\/h2>\n

Bird strikes represent one of the most consistently documented aviation safety risks, recognized as a priority concern by ICAO, FAA, and EASA. This airport is a major international hub located in a coastal region of Northeast Asia with high year-round bird activity. Protected wetland and estuarine habitats in the surrounding area lie within a few kilometers of the runway system, creating sustained exposure that intensifies during seasonal migration when large-scale bird movements frequently coincide with peak flight operations.<\/p>\n

The airport’s existing bird management relied on ground patrols, tower observation, and reactive response once birds were already spotted. Four limitations made this approach increasingly inadequate as air traffic volume grew:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0No night or low-visibility coverage: Visual monitoring cannot track bird movement in darkness, fog, or rain \u2014 conditions that continue through normal flight operations<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Insufficient warning range: By the time birds were visually detected near runways, lead time for dispersal was frequently too short before an aircraft reached approach or departure roll<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0No flock quantification: Operators had no systematic way to measure flock density, altitude distribution, or movement trajectory, making risk assessment subjective and shift-dependent<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0No data for habitat intervention: Without continuous observation records, the airport lacked the evidence base to target bird attractant reduction work around the perimeter<\/p>\n

Bird strike incidents were trending upward, contributing to aircraft damage, unscheduled maintenance, and operational delays. A transition to a radar-based, sensor-fused detection system was determined necessary to meet operational requirements and civil aviation safety obligations aligned with ICAO Doc 9137.<\/p>\n

C\u00e1ch h\u1ec7 th\u1ed1ng ho\u1ea1t \u0111\u1ed9ng<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The deployed system follows a Detect \u2192 Track & Classify \u2192 Alert & Respond\u00a0workflow. Two MR-RDT10K radars provide continuous 360\u00b0 airspace coverage. When a bird target is detected and classified, the platform automatically cues the nearest MR-HTVC12035-2132 thermal camera for visual verification, triggers tiered alerts in the control room, and simultaneously pushes live track data to field team tablets \u2014 designed for a sub-100 ms end-to-end response from detection to alert dispatch.<\/p>\n

Gi\u1ea3i ph\u00e1p<\/h2>\n

MR-RDT10K \u2014 Area-Wide All-Weather Radar<\/a> Ph\u00e1t hi\u1ec7n<\/h3>\n

Two MR-RDT10K units are installed on 10-metre frangible support structures positioned for overlapping coverage across the full runway environment and surrounding low-altitude airspace. Using mechanical azimuth scanning and elevation Digital Beamforming (DBF), the MR-RDT10K is designed to deliver continuous 360\u00b0 surveillance regardless of lighting or weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Tham s\u1ed1<\/td>\nTh\u00f4ng s\u1ed1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ph\u1ea1m vi g\u00f3c ph\u01b0\u01a1ng v\u1ecb<\/td>\n360\u00b0 continuous<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ph\u1ea1m vi \u0111\u1ed9 cao<\/td>\n\u22125\u00b0 to +60\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Detection Altitude<\/td>\n3,000 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detection Range (RCS 1 m\u00b2 \/ bird flock class)<\/td>\n3.5 km \u2013 20 km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detection Range (RCS 0.01 m\u00b2 \/ small target)<\/td>\n1.5 km \u2013 10 km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Target Velocity Range<\/td>\n1 m\/s \u2013 150 m\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Range Accuracy (RMS)<\/td>\n\u2264 5 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Velocity Accuracy (RMS)<\/td>\n\u2264 0.5 m\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angular Accuracy (AZ\/EL, RMS)<\/td>\n0.3\u00b0 \u2013 0.4\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Simultaneous Track Capacity<\/td>\n\u2265 200 tracks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
End-to-End Response (design target)<\/td>\n< 100 ms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nhi\u1ec7t \u0111\u1ed9 ho\u1ea1t \u0111\u1ed9ng<\/td>\n\u221240 \u00b0C to +55 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B\u1ea3o v\u1ec7 x\u00e2m nh\u1eadp<\/td>\nIP66<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

MTI\/GMTI algorithms suppress ground and sea clutter, enabling reliable detection of slow-moving, low-RCS targets including individual large birds and small flocks that would be masked in conventional surveillance radar returns. Midradar’s<\/a> AI classification engine provides multi-class target discrimination across bird flocks, individual birds, UAVs, and aircraft in real time. A Micro-Doppler feature recognition layer further distinguishes rotor-driven UAV echoes from biological wing-flapping bird echoes at signal processing level, significantly reducing nuisance alarms from non-bird aerial targets.<\/p>\n

MR-HTVC12035-2132 \u2014 Long-Range Thermal PTZ Verification<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Seven MR-HTVC12035-2132 PTZ thermal camera units are deployed at five installation points: three ground-level pole positions, three building rooftop positions, and one elevated tower location providing extended coverage over the most active migratory approach corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Tham s\u1ed1<\/td>\nTh\u00f4ng s\u1ed1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detection Range (vehicle \/ human)<\/td>\n21 km \/ 9 km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C\u1ea3m bi\u1ebfn nhi\u1ec7t<\/td>\nVOx uncooled, up to 1280\u00d71024 resolution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0110\u00e1p \u1ee9ng ph\u1ed5 quang<\/td>\n7.5 \u03bcm \u2013 14 \u03bcm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NETD<\/td>\n45 mK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u1ed0ng k\u00ednh nhi\u1ec7t<\/td>\n25 mm \u2013 325 mm, 13\u00d7 continuous zoom, autofocus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Camera c\u00f3 th\u1ec3 nh\u00ecn th\u1ea5y<\/td>\n2.1 MP, 1\/1.8\u2033 CMOS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u1ed0ng k\u00ednh nh\u00ecn th\u1ea5y \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c<\/td>\n4.3 mm \u2013 141 mm, 30\u00d7 optical zoom<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0110\u1ed9 s\u00e1ng t\u1ed1i thi\u1ec3u<\/td>\n0.0002 lux<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PTZ Pan<\/td>\n0\u00b0\u2013360\u00b0 li\u00ean t\u1ee5c<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nhi\u1ec7t \u0111\u1ed9 ho\u1ea1t \u0111\u1ed9ng<\/td>\n\u221235 \u00b0C to +60 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
M\u1ee9c \u0111\u1ed9 b\u1ea3o v\u1ec7<\/td>\nIP66, triple-proof coating<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The thermal channel provides reliable target imaging in complete darkness, rain, mist, and direct solar backlighting \u2014 conditions that degrade visible-light cameras precisely when migrating flocks are most active. With a 21 km vehicle detection range and 9 km human-scale recognition range, thermal verification remains effective well before birds enter critical runway proximity. Camera cueing is fully automated via Midradar’s optoelectronic linkage interface \u2014 the nearest unit slews to the target’s GPS coordinates, locks on, and begins tracking with no manual control required.<\/p>\n

Unified Bird Risk Management Platform<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The integrated platform delivers the full operational capability set for airport bird strike prevention:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Unified situational display: Radar tracks, thermal and visible video, aircraft movement (MLAT integration), and risk zone overlays on a single GIS-based operator interface<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Risk zone management: Runway segments and approach corridors divided into horizontal and altitude-based tiers, each with configurable independent alert thresholds<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Target data logging: Every tracked event recorded with GPS coordinates, altitude, range, speed, heading, flock size estimate, and classification label<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Bird risk scoring: Real-time risk index computation integrating flock size, speed, altitude, trajectory, and proximity to active runway zones<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Trajectory playback and statistics: Full historical track data queryable by zone, time, and target type; automated reporting for regulatory documentation and habitat management<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Tablet field interface: Live radar track display on vehicle-mounted tablets for bird control patrol teams \u2014 enabling targeted dispersal without voice relay from the control center<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0System redundancy: Redundant processing servers and resilient network architecture designed to eliminate single points of failure<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Integration-ready: Open interfaces for ATIS, MLAT, UAM platforms, and anti-drone effector systems<\/p>\n

Ki\u1ebfn tr\u00fac h\u1ec7 th\u1ed1ng<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Deployment Highlights<\/h2>\n

Frangible structure design and compliance: Both MR-RDT10K support structures required structural load calculations, collision analysis, and ground stability verification before installation, coordinated with the airport authority and civil aviation regulatory body in accordance with aviation safety regulations for frangible construction.<\/p>\n

Nighttime-only installation: All integration with the airport’s live communications infrastructure was performed during nighttime maintenance windows across a multi-month schedule, requiring coordination between air traffic control, facilities management, and the installation team to protect flight operations continuity.<\/p>\n

RF coordination in a multi-radar environment<\/a>: With approach radar, surface movement radar, and weather radar already operating on site, frequency allocation for the MR-RDT10K required a full radio wave simulation and RF environment survey during Detailed Design, followed by formal national frequency licensing.<\/p>\n

12-month seasonal optimization: Following construction handover, a dedicated optimization phase calibrated MR-RDT10K sensitivity thresholds, adjusted risk zone alert parameters, and refined AI classification performance using one complete seasonal cycle of actual observed bird activity \u2014 accounting for local species composition, migration timing, flock size variation, and the operational schedule of the airport.<\/p>\n

Outcomes<\/h2>\n

After commissioning and optimization, the airport transitioned from reactive visual observation to proactive, data-driven bird risk management across all operational hours and weather conditions. The following operational improvements were achieved and confirmed during the optimization phase:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Continuous all-weather runway coverage: The radar layer provides detection capability during nighttime and low-visibility conditions that were previously unmonitored, covering all operational hours without additional staffing<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Extended early warning range: Bird activity is now tracked at range before flocks approach critical runway proximity, giving field teams lead time to deploy dispersal measures prior to aircraft movement \u2014 a fundamental shift from the previous reactive model<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Consistent, graded alert workflow: Automated tiered alerts replace unclassified visual sightings, enabling standardized response decisions across all shifts and weather conditions<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Structured per-incident documentation: Every tracked event is logged with flock size estimate, altitude, speed, trajectory, and risk score \u2014 providing the objective incident record that manual observation could not produce<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Targeted field team deployment: Bird control patrol vehicles are directed by live radar data to active threat locations rather than operating fixed patrol routes<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Seasonal bird activity database: The 12-month optimization period produced a continuous spatial and temporal bird activity record, giving the airport authority a data foundation for habitat management decisions around the airport perimeter<\/p>\n

Note: Quantitative metrics including strike rate reduction and system-level false alarm rates are subject to ongoing airport authority review and confidentiality requirements. Operational performance figures will be updated upon authorization.<\/p>\n

C\u00e1c c\u00e2u h\u1ecfi th\u01b0\u1eddng g\u1eb7p<\/h2>\n

Why is radar required \u2014 can thermal cameras handle airport bird detection alone?<\/h3>\n

Thermal cameras are highly effective for visual verification and close-range identification, but cannot provide wide-area, volumetric, all-weather detection at airport scale. The MR-RDT10K is designed to scan a multi-kilometre radius continuously in complete darkness or zero-visibility conditions \u2014 environments where any camera-based system faces fundamental physical constraints. Flock density quantification, altitude distribution mapping, and simultaneous tracking of hundreds of targets across an entire airport airspace volume are radar functions. The combination of radar detection and thermal camera verification is the accepted standard for professional airport bird strike prevention systems.<\/p>\n

How does the MR-RDT10K distinguish birds from aircraft and drones simultaneously?<\/h3>\n

The MR-RDT10K AI classification engine provides multi-class target discrimination across bird flocks, individual birds, UAVs, and aircraft from a single sensor. Micro-Doppler feature recognition further distinguishes rotor-driven UAV echoes from biological wing-flapping bird echoes at signal processing level. Aircraft movement data from existing MLAT infrastructure can be overlaid on the display for combined air picture awareness and toggled off by operator selection. This layered approach is designed to minimize false alerts from non-bird aerial targets during normal airport operations.<\/p>\n

How are alert thresholds calibrated to avoid nuisance alarms?<\/h3>\n

The 12-month optimization phase calibrates all alert parameters using one full seasonal cycle of actual bird activity data at the specific airport \u2014 local species composition, typical flock sizes, migration timing, and active runway operational schedules. This produces a site-specific alarm configuration rather than generic factory defaults, allowing the system to balance detection sensitivity against nuisance alarm rate for the particular operational environment.<\/p>\n

Can the system connect with existing bird dispersal equipment and future anti-drone platforms?<\/h3>\n

Yes. Midradar’s standard interfaces support connection with acoustic, laser, and pyrotechnic dispersal devices, allowing existing equipment to be triggered automatically based on radar-detected bird activity. The platform also provides open integration interfaces for ATIS, UAM operational platforms, and anti-drone effector systems \u2014 keeping the bird detection investment architecturally compatible with the airport’s broader low-altitude airspace management roadmap.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This case study explains how a hub airport in Northeast Asia deployed MR-RDT10K low-altitude surveillance radar and MR-HTVC12035-2132 long-range thermal PTZ cameras to build a 24\/7 all-weather bird detection and bird strike prevention system. The solution enables real-time tracking, automated risk alerts, thermal verification, field team dispatch, and data-driven bird risk management across runway zones.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":2902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-2900","cases","type-cases","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cases\/2900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cases"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/midradar.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}