NAMA overhauls VHF radios to boost communication

Considering the significance of radio communication interchange between pilots and the control tower to air safety, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has put in place a machinery to accelerate an ongoing programme geared towards the total upgrade of its radio communication infrastructure across the country.

The agency, through a statement issued by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Khalid Emele, said the upgrade is to ensure that communication challenges experienced by pilots in some parts of the airspace are totally eliminated.

The exercise will cover 8 existing remote sites where the VHF (Very High Frequency) radios will be replaced.

“As part of efforts to boost the clarity of radio communication especially at the upper airspace, the agency has taken steps to replace all the Very High Frequency (VHF) radios at the existing eight (8) remote sites in Lagos, Kano, Wukari, Sokoto, Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Maiduguri and also add six (6) new sites in Jos, Kaduna, Yola, Enugu, Benin and Calabar making a total of fourteen (14) VHF sites spread across the nation.

These VHF remote sites are operated in a network which will have signal pattern that covers the entire Nigerian airspace. The agency has taken delivery of the VHF radio equipment under the “Extended Range VHF Coverage” project and installation will commence soon.

In 2018, NAMA deployed four stand-alone Jotron High-power long range VHF radios at Lagos East and Lagos West as well as Kano East and Kano West Area Control Centres (ACCs). This backup solution is targeted at addressing Remote Control Air to Ground (RCAG) communication challenges in the upper airspace by providing reliable backup in the event of loss of VHF radio communication on the main system,” the agency said.

It also disclosed that plans have been completed to extend the range of the above stated long-range backup radios and the agency is only awaiting the passage of the 2019 budget by the National Assembly for implementation to commence.

“When completed, the backup radios would also have sufficient overlap of propagated signals to cover the entire Nigerian airspace.

As an agency, one of our overriding priorities is to provide reliable communication link between the air traffic controller and the flying pilot at all phases of flight and this we are continuously committed to doing.

NAMA, therefore, wishes to reassure airspace users and the general public that its radio communication infrastructure remains serviceable just as it is intensifying efforts to ensure that the quality continues to improve in line with international standards.”