Soon after the introduction, in March 1947, of GCA to London Airport, it was realized that the advantages which it had brought to approach control could be greatly increased if the range of the radar could be extended to give earlier and more accurate information to the flight information controllers, and eventually the airways controllers, on the position of aircraft. At the time when the Ministry of Civil Aviation had installed and were testing an MEW type radar at the west end of London Airport, the question of the extended cover required from radar in this country was under active consideration. It was thus planned to develop long-range radar control techniques and procedures to be used in conjunction with the MEW radar. The work was planned to fall into three separate stages: (1) experiments in combined MEW/GCA working (termed long-range GCA); (2) operational trials; (3) operational service.