What is Electronic Conspicuity, and How Could it Unlock Onshore Wind?

Electronic Conspicuity (or EC) is a term used to describe aircraft that can be identified by electronic means (further details below). Currently, EC is not mandated in the UK, unlike other countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, meaning aircraft do not need to carry the equipment required to be detected. Mandating EC in the UK would improve surveillance and safety, and provide new opportunities for the wind industry to overcome common radar interference issues, as well as solve problems around aviation lighting by implementing automatic detection lighting systems (ADLS). This article provides details behind the premise of EC and how it works, details of how it affects the wind industry and the state of play in the UK. Finally, details of the recently launched CAA consultation on EC are provided.

What is Electronic Conspicuity?

EC may seem like a complex technical term, but put simply, it is a term used to describe aircraft that can be identified by electronic means, rather than only by non-cooperative surveillance navigation equipment, such as Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR). Mandating EC would ensure all aircraft, such as General Aviation (GA), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), helicopters used by emergency services, or any other aerial vehicle, can be clearly identified without non-cooperative systems. Mandating EC also has the added benefit of removing the risk of confusing genuine aircraft returns with those of other objects, namely wind turbines. 

EC only works if the aircraft are fitted with particular technology that provides key flight data to those who need it. The most common way is to fit a transponder, which is interrogated by signals from Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) to provide these details. The second is via Automatic Dependent Surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) systems. The key data that is typically sent includes the aircraft’s position, speed, and identification number. 

What is the state of play in the UK?

Currently, in the UK, there is no mandatory requirement for aircraft to carry transponders (or other forms of electronic identification). There are certain areas of airspace called Transponder Mandatory Zones (TMZ) that mandate the use of a transponder to fly through but these are not that common across the whole of the UK’s airspace. Currently, UK airspace operates using a mix of cooperative and non-cooperative surveillance systems to provide ATC coverage. Whilst this will likely be the case for many years to come, any change as part of the Airspace Modernisation Strategy that sees EC being mandated, would see all civil aircraft that are flying legally will be detectable by electronic means. The recently released consultation from the CAA (see below) looks to push forward with this change. 

Why is EC important to onshore (and offshore) wind?

One of the key issues around wind farm and radar interactions is that radar returns from aircraft and wind turbines can be confused. In this instance, an Air Traffic Controller may not be able to provide air traffic services to the standard required to maintain safety. There are also other known issues, such as track seduction for particular legacy radar types, which sees an aircraft’s track being misplaced when transitioning the airspace above multiple wind turbines due to radar returns from the wind turbines being mistaken for the location of the aircraft. This means that an Air Traffic Controller’s workload may increase, and this could lead to an increased risk to safety, or worse. Mandating EC could help remove these issues because it would ease the differentiation between genuine radar returns from aircraft and those spurious returns from wind turbines. As with all radar mitigation solutions, it may not be a silver bullet, but it would certainly be a very useful tool.

CAA consultation

As of the 14th July 2026, the UK CAA has launched a consultation seeking ‘views on the CAA’s proposed approach on how an EC Mandate should be designed and introduced in a practical, fair and workable way’. The consultation is not intended to open a conversation about those aircraft that are already required to carry EC equipment; instead, it focuses on aircraft that are not already subject to such obligations, such as GA aircraft.

Conclusions

Mandating EC across the UK represents the future of air traffic surveillance capabilities, will increase aviation safety, and, in turn, greatly benefit the wind industry. This won’t come without complications, especially within those aviation communities that do not currently need a transponder to fly legally. These issues have, however, been overcome in other countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, and there is no reason why the UK could not do the same.

Click on the link to provide input into the CAA EC consultation.

Speak to an expert

Pager Power has extensive experience dealing with aviation and radar issues. For more information on our aviation lighting services, click here.

If you would like to receive advice on aviation lighting for your project, or to receive a quote for an assessment, please make an enquiry or give us a call on +44 (0)1787 319 001.

About Pager Power

Pager Power is a dedicated technical consultancy that has been providing independent guidance and advice regarding solar, wind, and building developments internationally since 2002.

Pager Power has completed over 1,800 glint and glare assessments, over 1,000 aviation, radar and safeguarding assessments, and over 1,000 telecommunications assessments, including the assessment of point-to-point link infrastructure, and television, mobile phone, and radio reception surveys. Pager Power is a truly international technical planning consultancy, having worked in over 60 countries.

References

Image accreditation: Johannes Heel (August  2024) from Unsplash.com. Last accessed on 16 July 2026. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-large-air-plane-flying-over-a-runway-XmLULwMRxcU