INSTALLATION SPOTLIGHT - MCAS Miramar: 3m ILS LLZ Catwalk

Our latest installation brings us to the perennially sunny location of San Diego, California, USA. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar recently underwent an ILS Localizer (LLZ) upgrade. As part of the upgrade, an earthen berm supporting the LLZ antennas was removed in order to meet runway end safety area (RESA) requirements. The berm was replaced by Millard's 3m frangible towers with a catwalk platform.

The LLZ array to be replaced, and the earthen berm to be removed.

As part of the design-build project, Millard engineered a 45m catwalk that allowed the LLZ antennas to be safely maintained without the use of any lift equipment. Frangible 3m tall sections supported both the catwalk and the poles holding the LLZ antennas. Both the supporting towers and the catwalk were fabricated from Aluminum to provide a lightweight solution impervious to UV degradation – a useful quality in a sunny coastal climate.

An in-house test setup was performed to confirm fit and function.

Millard spent months going over the fine details of the design to ensure that fabrication and installation would go smoothly. Full sections were erected in-house to ensure all components functioned as designed. The work culminated in an impressive four-day, two-person installation performed by Synergy Electric. We hope the United States Marine Corps (USMC) enjoys their latest addition for decades to come!

The new LLZ support structure awaiting its antennas.