Blog

Radar technology made its name in the Second World War, and it has not stopped developing since. Considered to be the lynchpin of surveillance technology, its ability to operate in any environment or adverse weather, radar is used across a plethora of different scenarios to offer mission critical insight into any given situation.

Defense forces operate in very challenging conditions and in conflict zones where many different events are unfolding. The battlefield has changed dramatically over the last half century and therefore radar technology has had to evolve with it. Huge advancements in airborne technology have seen the introduction of helicopters, stealth aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) that offer increased ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) capabilities. These are combined with precision weapons and attacks today are multi-pronged, meeting the enemy from both air, sea, and land.

Often chaotic, these scenarios demand radar technology that can deliver excellent situational awareness that can lift the ‘fog of war’ in real time and enable clear decision making when it really counts.

The bigger picture – in detail

Radar helps to form a detailed picture of exactly what is happening and can be integrated into broader networks on the battlefield including imagery, video, sensors and communications, helping to aid fast decision-making. Combat has become more technology-based, and more remote with less of an emphasis on boots on the ground and more emphasis on technological capability using detection, tracking, jamming and other capabilities to overcome adversaries.

Deployable at sea, in the air, and on the ground, radar has developed in sophistication, allowing for multi domain surveillance and simultaneous tracking of many different targets at any time of the day or night and even in cases of severe clutter. It can operate at a range of up to 3,700km with over-the-horizon capability, and features electronic counter countermeasures (ECCM) to resist jamming and detection.

Right system for the application

Many different types of radar can be called upon to fulfil different operational needs.  Today radar is even portable so that it can easily be carried and deployed in the field, to offer greater situational awareness.

• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) – SAR delivers high resolution 2D and 3D imagery of targets and is widely used on board UAS and satellites. It can operate day or night and through clouds, smoke, and dust. It is ideal for reconnaissance and surveillance, battle damage assessment, and features capabilities that can assess a target over time to pick up on subtle changes.
• Passive – Offers covert surveillance by detecting targets from third-party signals. As it does not transmit pulses, it is very difficult to jam and is invisible to adversaries. It is ideal to detect stealthy targets with low Radar Cross Sections (RCS) and for detecting drones that do not have communications.
• Phased Array – Phased array radar features an array of electronically steered antennas for real time tracking and multi mission operations. One system can search track, and guide simultaneously and can also track multiple targets at once. These radar systems are also resilient as they can operate even if individual components fail.
• AESA – Active Electronically Scanned Array systems simultaneously emit multiple beams at different frequencies making them much more difficult to jam.

Observation, orientation, decision, action

Radar forms the bedrock of military situational awareness, providing invaluable information with constant monitoring of azimuth, elevation, range, and velocity across every domain. Radar also provides the baseline for other sensors and can classify the severity of threats. The strategic importance of these systems cannot be overstated.

As radar technology evolves and new advances are implemented such as software defined radar, quantum technology, and AI, it will become even more capable and strategically critical for real time mission-critical decision making in fast-moving operational scenarios and continuous monitoring for safety of our armed forces.