2600027 C.S. 20A
From the Governor, Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
SAVINGR Despatch
To the Secretary of State for the Colonies REIGN & COMMCHWEALTH
No.
197
APTATRS
Repeated to:-
Repeated to:-
No.
No.
27th February, 1969
My Reference..... CR 13/951/68
Your Reference....
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range of 100 miles but because of its location and the hills that abound, its coverage is patchy. Figure A attached at Enclosure gives the existing coverage of both radar sets. It will be seen that there are areas within 50 miles of the Colony which are not covered by radar at all, including the two busiest flight paths marked in red. Between them they account for over 90% of the traffic.
4.
When the departmental radar was originally installed it did provide cover for the busiest flight paths, which are marked in blue. One flight path was changed following the shooting down of a commercial aircraft off Hainan Island in 1954. The other flight path used to be utilized extensively by the R. A. F. but this is now no longer the case. In order to improve coverage it is proposed that: -
(a)
(b)
the departmental radar at Kowloon Tsai be slightly improved and moved to Mount Parker, and
a new radar with a range of 60 miles be installed possibly at Beacon Hill.
(a) will cost about £79,800, broken down to about £74, 700 for the removal and reinstallation and about £5, 100 for the improvements. It is expected that the relocated and improved installation will eliminate the blind patches in the present coverage.
5.
But even with the relocated departmental radar, a new short range radar will still be needed. While the R. A. F. radar and the resited departmental radar can provide a full coverage if both are working, a serious gap will occur should either set break down. The gap will be more crucial if the departmental set breaks down because planes have to climb and descend within 100 miles of the airport. In former times, the lower volume of traffic and the slower speeds enabled pilots to fly visually with relative safety even in the event of a break- down but this is no longer true. Therefore a third set is essential to cover break-downs and annual overhauls which last from three to four weeks per set. The third radar will ensure that there is full coverage within a 100-mile radius even if one set is out of action. The kind of coverage which a third set will provide is set out diagrammatically at Figure B attached at Enclosure The new set will cost about £332,900 made up of about £200,800 for equipment and £132, 100 for site formation, buildings, etc.
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CONET
/Instrument Approach System .
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