Tern Systems Achieves Successful SAT for Polaris ATM System at Cranfield Airport

This achievement brings Cranfield Airport one step closer to making the leap from procedural-only to full surveillance control. Working in close collaboration with our project partner, EASAT Radar Systems, this system is designed to equip Cranfield’s Air Traffic Controllers with the tools necessary to manage complex airspace with higher efficiency and safety.

To ensure the upcoming transition is seamless, our engineering team worked side-by-side with Cranfield controllers directly in the remote tower, refining the system interface in real time to adapt to their exact operational workflows and daily user feedback.

That collaborative effort culminated in intensive testing where the entire integrated system passed all Site Acceptance Testing requirements without issue. By seamlessly ingesting and processing high-precision surveillance data from EASAT’s new Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radar setup, Polaris demonstrated its ability to provide controllers with a rich, real-time digital picture of the local airspace.

Once operational, moving to surveillance-based tactical control will enable controllers to separate arriving aircraft by distance rather than time, significantly boosting airport capacity while giving controllers clear visibility of non-participating aircraft in the vicinity. Beyond immediate operational gains, this milestone establishes a foundational platform for Cranfield University to advance world-class research into complex air mobility and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) integration.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Cranfield and EASAT teams for their close partnership, as well as the entire Tern Systems team whose dedication brought us through a successful SAT. As controllers prepare for live training, we look forward to the upcoming deployment that will see Polaris power the next generation of air traffic management.