A LOOK AT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN RADAR TECHNOLOGY
TV Signals Can be Used in Radar Capacity: TV signals’ behavior is similar to radar, but they operate at different ends of the radio spectrum. New technology has emerged using receivers tailored to these signals, and successfully tracked 30 airplanes at a range of 10,000 feet.
And where some radar can confuse wind turbine activity with aircraft,the TV signals encountered much less interference. TV signal “radar” takes advantage of broadcast networks that already disseminate the signals. Using TV signals could mean a radar-like technology that is more cost-effective than traditional radar to develop and use.
PASSIVE RADAR IN DEVELOPMENT, EXPECTED TO BE A GAME CHANGER
Military and defense initiatives worldwide have relied on radar since its defensive capabilities were realized in the early 1900s. Radar’s applications have changed and evolved alongside military developments, particularly in the air force, navy, and army. Passive radar, a different type of radar technology, is set to be the next big thing in military radar applications. It operates almost in reverse to existing radar—while radar puts out electromagnetic signals to function, passive radar takes in existing electromagnetic signals from the atmosphere to support imaging and tracking capabilities. Passive radar is less expensive to operate and is more covert than traditional radar. The global passive radar market is expected to hit $10 Billion USD in annual spending by 2023.
METAMATERIALS: Bringing radar sophistication up while driving costs way down
Metamaterials ( materials engineered to have properties that have not yet been found in nature) may be the next big leap in conventional radar technology. Research and development from a company called Echodyne is using the enhanced materials to drastically reduce the size, weight, and ultimately price of radar devices. With these physical, material, and financial shifts, metamaterial-based radar systems may find applications outside their target military markets, such as in cars and personal drones. Military radar system costs begin at $100,000, but metamaterial-based radar systems are aiming for a price point in the low thousands or even hundreds of dollars, which could make defense-level radar technology available to the mass market. In addition to revolutionary metamaterials, this new radar technology uses standard printed circuit boards and copper wire tracing for its electronic components. By using common electronic parts, this radar technology can take advantage of the existing methods of electronic circuit board repair for maintenance.
Radar technology is something we work with every day, and Ensil’s engineers and technicians are excited to see where the future of radar is headed. We pride ourselves on being radar experts with a particular focus on military and defense radar applications, assemblies, and components. Our secure facility has been serving and supporting international defense contractors for over 30 years through our military electronics repair and reverse engineering capabilities, and our extensive National Stock Number (NSN) military parts catalogue. Learn more about our military and defense support services by following the links below: