Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
We have an approved STA for this experiment (file number 0651-EX-ST-2012, callsign WF9XXQ). However, as the experimental design matured, we want to fly the aircraft at higher altitudes if possible. The original STA was approved for antenna heights that may not exceed 3,000 ft above ground level under the special conditions. We wish to change that to allow operation up to 12,000 ft above mean sea level which is the operational ceiling for the aircraft when operated without oxygen.
All other elements of the original STA are identical.
We will operate within the constraints of and under the authority in the original STA (callsign WF9XXQ) until and unless this new request is approved.
We are developing a new radar system and we need to run some experiments with it in November 2012 and January 2013.
The radar is aircraft mounted and designed for ground moving target indications (MTI) to support ground surveillance needs of Department of Defense and other government agencies.
The radar is being developed on MITRE internal Research and Development funds. While MITRE is a not-for-profit Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), we do not have a specific sponsor for this radar. We think it will ultimately gain traction with the Air Force or Army, whom we do a lot of work with. You can find out more about MITRE and our FFRDC status at www.mitre.org.
We have developed a ground version of this radar in the past with slightly different waveforms and hardware. Since that work was sponsored by the Air Force, we dealt with all spectrum issues through the spectrum management office on Hanscom AFB. However, since this work is not specifically sponsored by the Air Force, those same people told us we had to go through the FCC for any licensing and/or equipment certification.
The choice of Grand Junction, Colorado for the test site is based on cost savings and logistical simplicity for our aircraft integrator, Twin Otter International, which is based in Grand Junction.
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