Pilot/Controller Glossary
AIRPORT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIPMENT (ASDE)
This reproduces published FAA reference text for study. It does not replace the current official FAA publication or regulation.
Surveillance equipment specifically designed to detect aircraft, vehicular traffic, and other objects, on the surface of an airport, and to present the image on a tower display. Used to augment visual observation by tower personnel of aircraft and/or vehicular movements on runways and taxiways. There are three ASDE systems deployed in the NAS:
Retrieved from ecfr.gov on July 18, 2026.