Considerations in the Design of a Universal Beacon System

Airborne beacons are an essential element in aircraft navigation and traffic-control systems since they provide a means of (a) radar range extension and (b) intelligence transmission. However it is important that a universal beacon be provided which will, in effect, operate with all ground and airborne radar equipments, regardless of the operating frequency of the primary radar equipment. Also, the airborne beacon must provide the maximum of facilities for intelligence transmission. The paper outlines the specifications for a proposed universal beacon system satisfying the above basic requirements, and discusses certain design criteria for the several components of the proposed system.