DAPs WG/5 – IP/07

Agenda Item 3
23-25/03/22

International Civil Aviation Organization

THE FIFTH MEETING OF MODE S DOWNLINKED

AIRCRAFT PARAMETERS WORKING GROUP
(MODE S DAPs WG/5)

Video Teleconference, 23 – 25 March 2022

Agenda Item 3: Sharing of State’s implementation on Mode S and related issues in APAC region

MODE S INTERROGATOR CODES ALLOCATION AND CONFLICT ANALYSES

(Presented by China)

SUMMARY

This paper shares information about the Mode S II codes allocation principles in China
and the related conflicts with neighboring countries.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 By the end of December 2021, there are 140 secondary surveillance radars in service in
China. 78 of them are Mode S radars and have been allocated II codes from 1-13. II code 14 and 15 are
reserved for test and military respectively. Without the usage of SI codes, II codes are a shortage in the
eastern coastal areas in China. Therefore, interrogation strategies of all-call lockout override protocol,
roll-call non-lockout, or intermittent lockout commands have been set to radars with overlapping
coverage.

1.2 In order to solve the II codes shortage issues in China effectively, the following jobs
have been carried out:
 Centralized allocation of II codes in China;
 Analyzing the conflict of II codes allocation in China;
 Analyzing the conflict of II codes allocation between China and neighboring countries.

2. DISCUSSION

Centralized allocation of II codes in China

2.1 In order to avoid conflict of II codes between radars with overlapping coverage, the
Mode S Interrogator Code Allocation System has been deployed to guide the allocation of IC codes in
China. The system can allocate IC codes and analyze conflicts of IC codes.

2.2 The allocation principle of the system is that the coverage of two Mode S radars
allocated in the same IC shall not overlap (except for radars operating in the cluster).
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2.3 The system is capable of allocation of special IC codes, but the following II codes and
matching SI codes can only be allocated manually:

 II code 0 and matching SI codes (SI 0, 16, 32, 48) are not allocated by the system
automatically. II code 0 is reserved by ICAO for Mode S interrogators that have not been
assigned a unique discrete IC;
 II code 14 and matching SI codes (SI 14, 30, 46, 62) are reserved for the test;
 II code 15 and matching SI codes (SI 15, 31, 47, 63) are reserved for the military.

Analyzing the conflict of II codes allocation in China

2.4 At present, interrogation strategies of all-call lockout override protocol, roll-call

non-lockout, or intermittent lockout commands have been set to radars with overlapping coverage in
China, to ensure the coverage of each radar. Shortly soon, China plans to re-allocate II codes to the same
II code Mode S radars with overlapping coverage.

Analyzing the conflict of II codes allocation between China and neighboring countries

2.5 According to the allocation of II codes in China and APAC member states from Fourth
Edition of SSR II Code List-March 2019 by ICAO APAC, an analysis of II codes conflict between
China and neighboring countries has been completed in China by Mode S Interrogator Code Allocation
System. The conflicts are as follows:

II
Country Location Coverage Country Location Coverage Distance
code
1 China Abagaqi 170 Mongolia BOR UNDUR 200 270

INCHEON
2 China Qingdao 220 Korea 200 313
(SINBUL)

3 China Yancheng 220 Korea GIMPO 200 415

4 China Pudong 220 Japan KASEDA 250 440

5 China Ningbo 220 Korea JEJU 200 340

JEJU(DONG
11 China Nanjing 220 Korea 200 405
GWANG)

*NOTE: Distance is the distance between two radars with the same II code.

2.6 There are some conflicts of II codes between China and Mongolia/Korea/Japan. The area of
overlapping coverage of Mode S radars with the same II codes 3/4/11 are small, the radars coverage in
this area has not interfered too much. It suggests maintaining these II codes.
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Figure 1 Coverage of Yancheng and GIMPO SSR Figure 2 Coverage of Shanghai and KASEDA SSR

Figure 3 Coverage of Nanjing and JEJU (DONG GWANG) SSR

2.7 Abagaqi radar and BOR UNDUR radar have a large overlapping coverage of about
100NM. Abagaqi radar has been set all-call Probability of Reply field 1/2 and roll-call lockout
command. From flights track, coverage of Abagaqi radar is normal and is not affected by BOR UNDUR
radar. It suggests that Mongolia verifies the allocation of II code for BOR UNDUR radar. If there is a
conflict, it is recommended that Mongolia evaluate the coverage of BOR UNDUR radar and share the
interrogation strategy of BOR UNDUR radar.

Figure 4 Coverage of Abagaqi and BOR UNDUR SSR Figure 5 II code allocation around Abagaqi SSR

2.8 Qingdao radar and INCHEON radar have a large overlapping coverage of about
107NM. Qingdao radar has been set all-call Probability of Reply field 1/2 and roll-call intermittent
lockout command. For this interrogation strategy, the coverage of INCHEON radar should be normal
and should be not affected by Qingdao radar. It suggests that Korea verifies the allocation of II code for
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INCHEON radar and shares the interrogation strategy with China.

Figure 6 Coverage of Qingdao and INCHEON (SINBUL) SSR Figure 7 II codes allocation around Qingdao SSR

2.9 Ningbo radar and JEJU radar have a large overlapping coverage of about 80NM.
Ningbo radar has been set all-call Probability of Reply field 1/2 and roll-call lockout command. For this
interrogation strategy, the coverage of JEJU radar should be affected by Ningbo radar. It suggests that
Korea verifies the allocation of II code for JEJU radar. If there is a conflict, it is recommended that
Korea evaluate the coverage of JEJU radar and share the interrogation strategy with China.

Figure 8 Coverage with Ningbo and JEJU SSR Figure 9 II codes allocation around Ningbo SSR

2.10 Due to the intensive of mode S radars in China, it is very difficult to re-allocate II codes
to radars. Now II codes 1/2/4 have been allocated to radars in China, that have overlapping coverage
with BOR UNDUR radar. It suggests that Mongolia re-allocate the II code of BOR UNDUR radar to
avoid II code conflicts.

Figure 10 II codes allocation around BOR UNDUR SSR

2.11 It has been verified that there is no II code available in the eastern coastal areas in
China, and the II codes of Qingdao and Ningbo radars cannot be re-allocation within China. According
to the analysis of II codes allocation surrounding INCHEON and JEJU radars, II code 13 could be
re-allocated to INCHEON, and II code 6 could be re-allocated to JEJU. These re-allocations will not
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conflict with surrounding radars. Or resetting a feasibility interrogation strategy for both INCHEON
and JEJU radars to avoid conflicts.

Figure 11 Alternative II code allocation for INCHEON SSR

Figure 12 Alternative II code allocation for JEJU SSR

2.12 Considering the shortage of II code resources, it is recommended to release II code 14

for civilian radars and reserve II code 15 for test and military.

3. ACTION BY THE MEETING

a) discuss and coordinate the resolution of the above II code conflicts.

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