PlanePlotter already has a unique Mlat Wide Area network complete with its own Ground Stations , now numbering over 350 , across the UK and Netherlands.Thats been in place three years and works remarkably well.
Its also infinitely cheaper than NATS own very limited Mlat system , recently set up in the N Sea
However as the Mode-S messages carry the ident of the interrogating radar head we are now developing a further system which will support
Mlat in fringe areas.
We are also using Mode A/C pulses to add a second layer to this system.
Finally , by converting the Mode A/C data from non mode-S equipped a/c to sqwks we can then use those to attempt to locate Mode A/C only a/c too by comparing the pulse rates to those associated with Mode A/C ground stations.