Most US airports servicing the level of RPT traffic serviced by Australian regional towered airports have Class C services.
US Class C services are all radar covered TRACON
TRACON are small scale/range Approach and Departure Terminal area services where controllers are specifically managing comparatively small volume compared with en-route controllers in Australia
Many terminal area volumes of airspace in the US [particularly since the quote you cite from 2004] have been reclassified C or B. That reclassification has been the result of NMAC, MAC and/or representations by US industry for change.
Radar coverage is NOT a prerequisite for Class E airspace
Nor is it for Class C [ICAO]
Why do the US utilise Class E
outside busy
RPT Terminal Area’s? The density of VFR traffic that can not be serviced to the same level it is in Europe, Australia and elsewhere.
- Does that mean the US system with Class E components is better? No, it is simply a necessity.
- Does that mean the ICAO, European or Australian system is better? No, it is simply better able to manage the lower VFR densities with less controller resources combined with the substantially less widespread ATS infrastructure such as surveillance.