Singapore Changi Airport has ordered another Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) system from protective communications developer Genasys. The LRAD is a “bioacoustics deterrent,” according to San Diego-based Genasys, and Changi has employed the system since 2021 to prevent bird strikes with aircraft during takeoff and landing.
Genasys has already deployed LRAD systems at other Asia-Pacific (APAC) airports and is “working several pipeline opportunities to protect jets, passengers, and wildlife in the APAC and European regions,” according to David Schnell, v-p global hardware sales at Genasys. The annual cost of bird strike aircraft incidents is estimated at $1.2 billion.
Airports can operate the LRAD manually or integrated with remote command and control centers, according to Genasys. The systems can be “programmed to broadcast a near infinite variety of tones and predator calls to ensure against habituation and safely deter wildlife up to 3,000 meters away.”
“LRAD is a humane bioacoustic deterrent that has proven highly effective in preventing aircraft bird strikes near runways,” said Schnell. “When integrated with millimeter-band avian radar, LRAD systems automatically detect and deter birds entering runway control zones by broadcasting a wide variety of intense, directional sounds and predator calls to safely steer birds away from aircraft during takeoffs and landings.”