MICROWAVE LANDING SYSTEM

The microwave landing system (MLS) has been developed to overcome some of the problems
and limitations associated with the ILS. The MLS currently being deployed is called time-
reference scanning beam microwave landing system, or TRSB. The ILS provide one narrow
flight path and operates at VHF or UHF frequencies, whereas the MLS provides a wide range of
flexible flight paths on an approach to an aircraft. In addition, the MLS has an advantage
inherent with operating at microwave frequencies are a much larger number of frequency
channels, fewer problems with finding suitable sites for ground components, and elimination of
severe multipath interference caused by signal reflections from buildings, hills, and other objects.
With the MLS, a/c can approach a runway from many different angles, thus making it possible to
accommodate more flights and shorten flight paths. Currently, MLS are installed in very few
airports; however, the MLS offers the flexibility needed to safely increase airport traffic.

BASIC PRINCIPLE

The principles of TRSB are quite simple. Consider a radio beam scanned rapidly to and fro; an
appropriate tuned receiver on an a/c within range of the beam source would receive two pulses in
one complete scan, as the beam swept past twice. The pulse spacing is related to the angle made
between the centroid of the scanned sector and the line joining a/c to beam source. Note that the
system as described is ambiguous since the computed angle could be either side of the centroid
of the scanned sector. Ambiguity may be removed by knowing which is the to and which is the
fro scan, or by knowing the scan cycle start time, i.e, the commencement of the to half cycle.
For accuracy precision timing circuits must be used.

For lateral and vertical guidance azimuth scanning and elevation scanning beams are required.
Preamble instructions must be used to identify the beams which are synchronized so that one
time difference for each beam is measured in a 150 ms frame. Back beam and flare
measurements are also possible on a full system which will be used in conjunction with a high-
accuracy DME. Reflected beam reception can be eliminated by time gating. The r.f employed
will be in the KU band.
 Figure 20.1 : Principles of TRSB

As its name suggests, TRSB MLS operates with a scanning beam, with a carrier frequency in the
5GHz region. There are 200 MLS channels from 5031 5090.7 MHz To understand MLS
operation, consider a azimuth function. This is analogous to the localizer in ILS, which guides
the pilot to the runway centerline. An understanding of MLS geometry will aid the description of
MLS transmission. The geometry is mostly referenced to a desired flight path that is, laterally, an
extension of the runway centerline. Vertically it creates a nominal 3 degree glide path. MLS is
flexible and it is possibly to fly an approach that is not the nominal, including curved approaches.

Figure 20.2 : Typical MLS Coverage

The MLS approach line intersects the surface of the runway at the MLS datum point. This is at
the approximate touch down several 100 meters in from the approach end of the runway. This is
also the location of the MLS elevation antenna and DME.

The approach azimuth antenna is beyond the stop end of the runway and is capable of providing
guidance along its entire length of the runway. Unlike ILS, there is no guidance beyond the
azimuth antenna, i.e, there is no back lobes of the MLS antenna. For departure guidance there is
a separate back azimuth antenna before the touchdown end of the runway.

The MLS ground station transmits an unmodulated microwave carrier from a directional antenna
with vertical polarization. The carrier is turned on as the directional beam swept through an angle
of about 60 degrees. The actual sweep angle is not important at this point, but the centre of the
sweep is the runway centre line. Thus the sweep is plus and minus 30 degree from the centerline.
An a/c in the arc of these beams receives a pulse of energy as the antenna sweeps by. The shape
of this received signal is a pulse that is essentially the antenna pattern of the antenna. The
maximum sweep angle depends on the airport. If there is the possibility of severe multipath
distortion due to nearby mountains, for eg. the scan can be limited to prevent this. The maximum
sweep is plus and minus 62 degrees from the runway centerline.
 Figure 20.3 : MLS Azimuth and Elevation Coverage

After the antenna sweeps the approximate 60 degrees, the carrier is removed for a short period
and the antenna sweeps in the reverse direction. Once again the a/c receives the pulse as the
antenna returns to the starting point. The sweeps are called TO and FRO. If the time between TO
and FRO is measured, the angular position of the a/c may be determined.

In the case of MLS, the pulse is generated by the antenna pattern, which includes sidelobes. In
addition, there is the possibility of multipath contamination. The pulse generated by the TO scan
is exactly same as the FRO except reversed in time. As observed in the a/c, the TO pulse is
generated by the scanning beam passing from right to left, while the pulse generated by the FRO
pulse is generated by exactly the same beam scanning left to right. If the received signal is
contaminated by multipath, the same contamination exist on both scans.

To determine the time delay between TO and FRO scan, the TO scan is sampled, stored,
reversed in time and compared to the FRO scan. The time delay is adjusted so the absolute value
of the difference between the two pulses is minimized. This results in time difference that is
insensitive to multipath and the shape of the antenna pattern.

The azimuth angle relative to the runway centerline is measured. This is different than the
localizer, where only an approximate angle may be determined from the localizer signal in space.
An elevation angle is provided by a similar scanning beam. In this case, the scan is up and down
rather than left to right.

Another difference between ILS and MLS is that all MLS scanning beams share the same carrier
frequency. The functions are separated by the time sharing. This maximizes the 200 channels
assigned to MLS.

AIRBORNE MLS EQUIPMENTS

The MLS equipments include atypical airborne receiver, the digital display control panel and the
MLS antenna. This system features an automatic and manual test function to verify system
performance and a LCD of all MLS data. The entire system weighs less than 10 lb. the receiver
processes the MLS signal with respect to the approach selection criteria and provides multiple
outputs. These outputs can be used to drive the flight control system and conventional
electromechanical CDIs, HSIs and ADIs. Often the MLS system incorporate 2 airborne antennas
located on the bottom of the a/c fuselage, one mounted forward, the other rearward. This
configuration provides signal reception in all attitudes, including attitudes during missed
approach.

Figure 20.3 : Combined Representation of ILS and MLS Approach

COMPARISON OF MLS AND ILS

The high sensitivity of ILS antennas (localizer and glideslope) to their environment in terms
of multipath has been discussed. How does MLS overcome these problems? It, too, operates
with directional antennas. MLS doesnot requires precise space modulation as do glide slope
and localizer. MLS depends only on amplitude. In addition, should the MLS beam be
distorted by multipath, it compares TO and FRO scans, each with the same distortion and
subtracts distortion out the measurements.

When equipment cost is compared, the first MLS installations were more expensive, but this
is misleading. MLS was never installed in large numbers or benefited from economy of scale.
Also, there was little competition between suppliers of ground stations. Finally, solid state
microwave devices have been around for a long time, but significant advances were made in
the last decades.

The ILS system, ground station and airborne, is based on technology. There are thousands of
ILS installations at airports worldwide and hundreds of thousands of airborne installations.
The major cause of ILS is continuing maintenance.
 In many cases, airports cannot provide a CAT III ILS because of siting problems. For
locations where it is installed, the cost of a cancelled or diverted flight is so high it that
avoiding only a few per year justifies a CAT III landing system.