A NOVEL radar will soon be helping to keep an eye on aircraft flying over London.
Conventional radar uses a rotating antenna to sweep the sky, sending out radio pulses and detecting those which are reflected back from aircraft. The experimental system that will begin operation in June does not send out any signals of its own, but instead relies on a network of receivers to pick up television programmes.
It is hard to imagine British TV staples like “Cash in the Attic”, “Downton Abbey” and endless repeats of “Top Gear” being used to detect aircraft. But that, in effect, is what will be happening. By measuring the slight differences between the original broadcast signal and the signals reflected from aircraft flying in the vicinity, it is possible to plot the position of aircraft on a screen, just as is done with conventional radar. The difference is that a system that relies on signals already in the air can be simpler, cheaper and use a lot less power.
The London trial is being run by Thales UK, an engineering group, Roke Manor Research, an R&D consultancy, and NATS, which manages Britain’s air-traffic control. It is backed by the British government’s Technology Strategy Board. The group call their system multi-static primary surveillance radar (MSPSR). It is a form of “passive” radar, which goes back a long time.
Although it had been known since the late 19th century that radio waves can be reflected by objects, it was not until the years leading up to the second world war that a number of countries began secretly developing ways to detect aircraft. Many of the early tests relied on ordinary broadcasts to provide the signals. In an experiment in 1935 a Handley Page Heyford bomber flew between a receiving station and a BBC transmission tower to see how well it could be detected. Well enough, it seems, because the Air Ministry immediately ordered a full demonstration system.
Blip, blip
In 1940 the US Navy coined the term radar to describe “radio detection and ranging”. Modern radar is highly sophisticated but it largely relies on emitting a signal. By measuring the time taken for the reflected signal to return it is possible to work out the position of an aircraft. A slight shift in the frequency, because of the Doppler effect, means its speed and direction can be measured too. (An everyday example of the Doppler effect is how an ambulance siren changes pitch as it passes by.)
Passive radar can take similar measurements and is already used in limited ways, mostly by the armed forces. Relying on background signals to detect objects has an advantage in stealth operations: no pulse is sent out to alert anyone to what you are doing, or attract an anti-radar missile.
The growth in radio and television broadcasts—especially with digital and high-definition TV—now provides an enormous amount of high-frequency radio waves which are ideally suitable for passive radar systems. Moreover, the availability of cheap and powerful computing makes it feasible to analyse the data required to build a system like MSPSR. Thales and its partners expect to be able to produce results as good as conventional radar.
The Latest Bing News on:
Multi-static primary surveillance radar
- Distributed and Multi-Static Radaron November 30, 2023 at 3:38 am
We are immensely proud that these works have been very well received internationally - in 2022 we were in the top 3% cited authors in the world on multi-static radar (Scopus Field ... which synergises ...
- Surveillance Radar Market's North American Growth: Modernizations And Securityon November 28, 2023 at 12:32 am
These radars are capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously and can resist electronic jamming. For example, the range of SPS-48 land-based surveillance radar offered by L3Harris is ...
- Surveillance Radar Market's North American Growth: Modernizations and Securityon November 28, 2023 at 12:30 am
The Surveillance Radar market includes major players Raytheon Technologies Corporation (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Hensoldt (Germany), Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (Israel), and ...
- air surveillance radar systemon November 6, 2023 at 4:01 pm
JAPAN has delivered a part of the $103.5 million (P5.5 billion) air surveillance radar system to the Philippines, Japan’s Ministry of Defense attached agency Acquisition Technology and Logistics ...
- BOMBER/SPECIAL ELECTRONIC WARFARE AND RADAR SURVEILLANCE INTEGRATED AVIONICSon February 6, 2023 at 6:19 am
It’s the job of Bomber/Special Electronic Warfare and Radar Surveillance Integrated Avionics specialists to ensure these systems are maintained and remain in perfect working order. Responsible for ...
- Surface Surveillance Radaron February 13, 2018 at 10:25 pm
Description: The MESA radar provides air-to-air coverage, air-to-surface coverage, integrated identification friend or foe, special track beams and focused sector operation. MESA builds on the company ...
- Airport primary surveillance radar Morava 10 brochureon December 15, 2017 at 3:49 pm
The product line includes S-band PSR Morava 10, MSSR Mode-S M10S, ADS-B/MLAT solutions, transmitters, receivers, radar signal and data processing systems, software products, and services related to ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Multi-static primary surveillance radar
[google_news title=”” keyword=”multi-static primary surveillance radar” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
[/vc_column_text]
The Latest Bing News on:
Passive radar
- 'I saw the blip': Long Branch radar operator's Pearl Harbor warning was ignoredon December 7, 2023 at 2:20 am
George Elliott, who died 30 years ago this month, was at Pearl Harbor and saw the Japanese warplanes coming on radar. If only his superiors listened.
- My Top No-Brainer, High-Yield Dividend Stock to Buy for 2024on December 6, 2023 at 7:30 am
Consider adding this high-yielding Canadian Dividend Aristocrat to your self-directed portfolio for superior long-term returns.
- 8 Under-the-Radar Active ETFs for the Holidayson December 6, 2023 at 5:59 am
The winter holiday season is here, and I wanted to join in the festivities. Recently, advisors have become more comfortable turning to active ETFs to help them and their clients navigate the uncertain ...
- Retirees: 2 Dividend Stocks With Great Yields for TFSA Passive Incomeon December 5, 2023 at 1:10 pm
One popular strategy to boost income without getting hit with a higher tax bill is to hold the investments inside a self-directed Tax-Free Savings Account. The pullback in the share prices of several ...
- Passive design: the future of our schools?on December 4, 2023 at 12:09 am
When it comes to tomorrow’s school buildings, the concept of ‘passive design’ could help lower bills and fight the climate crisis while keeping staff and students happy and comfortable Poor energy ...
- Want Decades of Passive Income? 2 Stocks to Buy Nowon December 2, 2023 at 2:40 am
If you are looking for dividend stocks that have staying power, these two REIT giants should be on your radar.
- 3 Great Dividend-Growth Stocks to Buy for TFSA Passive Incomeon December 1, 2023 at 4:00 pm
These stocks still look cheap and have long track records of dividend growth. The post 3 Great Dividend-Growth Stocks to Buy for TFSA Passive Income appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
- Buy 32 Shares in This Top Dividend Stock for $701.12 in Passive Incomeon December 1, 2023 at 12:30 pm
You could be looking at dividend stocks all wrong. Which is why it's important to be clear about what makes them healthy to make serious passive income! The post Buy 32 Shares in This Top Dividend ...
- Was It Passive-Aggressive?on November 29, 2023 at 3:59 pm
Decoding people’s intentions so we can interpret their behavior and respond appropriately is challenging, especially when it comes to passive-aggressiveness. Attributional Ambiguity In social ...
- Don't reply to that passive-aggressive email, says communication expert: How to have a 'win-win conversation' insteadon November 27, 2023 at 9:18 am
Receiving a passive-aggressive work email is annoying, and it creates a tough dilemma. Do you muster the strength to ignore their tone and reply with a kind message? Should you match the sender's ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Passive radar
[google_news title=”” keyword=”passive radar” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]