IF A TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST

摘要

George Berkeley's famous thought experiment is meant to provoke discussion without expecting a definitive result.'11 It is headlined here to illustrate the unresolved future of the end state NAS, which is populated by a broad spectrum of piloted and autonomous vehicles and operated by all kinds of individuals and entities for commercial and personal reasons. Consider the surveillance challenges facing those responsible for managing the world's airspace in the interests of both safety and efficiency while also accommodating national defense and homeland security objectives. A glimpse into this challenge is provided by the FAA Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar (SENSR) program that will replace 600 existing US terrestrial radars. Requirements for the new system are an amalgam of the Department of Defense (DoD), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the FAA perceived needs. The cited program is still in its early stages, but the excerpts below illustrate the challenge: