Excellence in radar systems

[RPK]

The Hindu : Education / Careers : Excellence in radar systems



A look at the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, Bangalore
Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) systems involve devices or instruments that use radio waves to detect the position, speed, range, altitude, movement and direction of objects outside the visible range. In Defence systems, radars are mainly employed to detect aircraft, spacecraft, ships and missiles. Aircraft altimeters use the radar principle to determine the height of the craft from the ground. A weather forecasting radar detects the position of the clouds. A traffic control radar detects the speed of fast vehicles on the roads.

Radar transmits electromagnetic signals in air at different wavelengths. The signals strike against any object in the path and get reflected. The receiver part of the radar listens to the reflected signals from which the distance, speed and other parameters pertaining to the object are estimated. The signals travel at the velocity of light (3,00,000 km per second). The distance of the object is calculated from the time taken by the transmitted signal to return. Well, this is just the basic principle. There are different types using different norms for accuracy and models for specific applications. Continuing research is being conducted for evolving new types and styles with improved efficiency.

It is sometimes claimed that radar tipped the scales in Britain’s favour in World War II, through timely warning of the invading German bombers.

LRDE

Under the control of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, an institution strives to be a centre of excellence in design and development of radars and related technologies, primarily to meet the needs of our Defence requirements: Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), C.V. Raman Nagar, Bangalore - 560 093; Website: http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/labs/ LRDE/English/index.jsp? pg=homebody.jsp+

The LRDE was born as the Inspectorate of Scientific Stores at Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, in 1939. It was moved to Dehradun in 1946, and renamed Technical Development Establishment (Instruments and Electronics). In 1958, the electronics activity was bifurcated into inspection and R&D. The Electronics Research and Development Establishment was formed in Bangalore. It moved to the present location in 1986.

With self-reliance as the keyword, the LRDE undertakes the development of most sophisticated radar technology with maximum indigenous content. Different innovative models of radar were developed. They include FAX Mk I radar for locating mortars and guns for artillery, the Battlefield Surveillance Radar to detect moving men and vehicles, the Local Warning Radar (LOWARD – Indra I) for the Army, the Low Flying Target Detection Radar (LFDR – Indra II) for the Air Force, Rajendra Phased Array Radar, WLR, BFSR-SR, 3D CAR, ROHINI, REVATHI, 3D-TCR, BHARANI, ASLESHA and XV-2004. Digital electronics and embedded software were used in almost all the systems.

Consequent on the policies of liberalisation and globalisation, the LRDE had to face intense competition from global radar houses, which it took up with grace and success. The LRDE marches forward in the design and development of complex, state-of-the-art ground-based and airborne radars, with the key mantras of quality and indigenous growth.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Radar system engineering for ground-based, ship-borne and air-borne systems.

Design and development of major sub-systems — mechanical and electronic scanning antennas, high-performance transmitters, exciters, receivers, T/R modules, digital signal and data processors and mechanical engineering.

AREAS OF WORK

Some of the specific applications developed for the three services are indicated below.

Army:

Multifunction phased array radar and 3D surveillance radar for the Akash missile weapon system.

Low-level light-weight 2D radar for mountainous terrain air defence.

3D tactical control radar for air defence.

Short-range battlefield surveillance radar.

Weapon locating radar.

Ground penetration radar.

Air Force

Active phased array radar for airborne early warning and control.

Low-level 2D air defence radar.

3D low-level lightweight radar.

3D medium range surveillance radar for air defence.

4D active array medium power radar

Airborne electronically scanned array radar for Tejas Mark II.

Ground-controlled interception

Navy

Maritime patrol radar for fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Inverse synthetic aperture radar for maritime patrol.

3D medium range surveillance radar.

Multifunction phased array radar for air-defence ship.

Maritime patrol airborne radar for unmanned aerial vehicle.

Coastal surveillance radar.

Technologies for the civil sector.

The LRDE has made contributions to the civilian applications as well. A few of these are mentioned below.

3D medium surveillance radar for efficient handling of large air traffic.

Industrial Perimeter Surveillance Radar: lightweight battery-powered radar for surveillance of large industrial, Defence and other installations to detect intruders up to a distance of 2 km. It can detect even a crawling man.

Antennas: solutions are available in X and Ku band for air-borne and land-based radars.

Avalanche Victim Detector: can be used by high-altitude trekkers and mountaineers as life-saving device in case of burial under avalanche or any other debris. Useful in the mining sector as well

The LRDE offers challenging opportunities for researchers with keen observation and an innovative mind.

Keywords: Radar systems, radio waves, Aircraft altimeters, LRDE, Inspectorate of Scientific Stores-Rawalpindi, FAX Mk I radar, Battlefield Surveillance Radar, Local Warning Radar, Low Flying Target Detection Radar, Rajendra Phased Array Radar, Maritime patrol radar

 

[ILLUMINATO]

The country’s
missile might on display
during the Republic Day
parade in New Delhi. The Hamas-Israel war
mercifully did not escalate.
Within just a fortnight, the
loss of life and property had
become excessive: More
than 150 Palestinians died while Israel’s loss was less
than 10. Israel, of course,
calculates its hypothetical
loss assuming its missile
defence and early warning
systems had not worked. Israel pounded the Gaza
strip with aerial
bombardment while
Palestinians fired over
1,000 short-range rockets.
Israel had the wherewithal to neutralise a large
number of rockets while the
Palestinians had no anti-
aircraft system to speak of.
The Palestinians’ loss was
therefore heavier. How do we stop incoming
rockets, mortars and
missiles midway? We can
do that only by destroying
the weapon or by muting it
from exploding. This, assuming we are able to
detect the incoming missile
accurately and aim an
interceptor missile against
it, we can do almost
instantly. Accuracy and speed are critical. Even one
tenth of a degree of error in
tracking would make the
interceptor miss the enemy
rocket by a few kilometres.
Thanks to the Cold War between the superpowers,
our own far-sighted
development programme
and to an element of
international co-operation
(“We are prisoners of geography”), we now have
sophisticated technologies
for all stages of anti-missile
defence. Israel, for example, has
three antimissile systems in
operation, for meeting
threats of different kinds.
The latest of the three
antimissile systems is named Iron Dome and is
credited to have destroyed
a large number of
Palestinian rockets and
artillery shells. The radar in
this system has a range of more than 70 kilometres. As
soon as a threat is detected,
the battle management and
weapon control system
determines the trajectory
of the incoming rocket and fires its antimissile. Israel claims a single Iron
Dome can protect a range
more than 150 km. Their
second system has a
powerful electronically-
steered solid state radar of a class known as the phased
array system. This solid
state radar has more than
2,000 transmission receiver
modules known as TR
Modules, which makes it very agile and powerful in
detecting multiple
incoming threats at the
same time. The radar,
known as Green Pine, has
taken the anti-missile game to a new level. It has a
range of more than 600 km
and can detect and track
more than 30 enemy
targets simultaneously and
guide the interceptor missile accurately to within
a few metres of the target,
all within a matter of a few
seconds. Coupled with an air defence
missile called Arrow 2,
which has a range of more
than 90 km, it can
neutralise the enemy
missile even at higher altitudes of 10 to 40 km.
Phased Array radar
technology is not new to
India. A few decades ago it
built its first phased array
radar, Rajendra, for tracking and firing the Akash missile
using technology of ferrite
phase shifters. We have also built up our
competence in building
radars with TR modules. Our
recently-launched satellite
carries a sophisticated radar
with gallium arsenide TR modules. The radar for the
Indian Strategic Systems
defence developed by DRDO
is also a solid state radar
with more than 2,000 TR
modules and is working well guiding missiles to
high altitude interceptions.
Its range should also match
the Green Pine. While these are adequate
for a first-generation anti-
missile system, it has to be
upgraded significantly with
some of the new
technologies that are barely out of laboratories. India
will also have to build its
equivalent of Arrow 3. India does not have the
luxury of a long distance or
time for responding to a
threat as the United States
has. The technologies
should therefore be upgraded almost
spectacularly both for
detection and for response. Americans are now
developing a radar with
more than 25,000 elements
to detect a golf ball 1,000
km away! We should be
able to detect at least a missile launch a few
hundred kms away. Satellites can also help
provide coverage with a
few centimetres resolution
and also detect the launch.
The response for
interception should be equally matching. One of
the options will be a beam
weapon using a free
electron laser. All these may take us to
challenging the
applicability of Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty while
meeting India’s needs. The mission for DRDO and
the country for the coming
decade is thus clear: Build
the world’s best solid state
radar and develop accurate,
long-range interceptors, including beam weapons
such as free electron laser
weapons and ignore the
naysayers. They will always
be with us. Three decades ago, I was
able to persuade our
political leadership,
especially our finance and
defence ministers, to agree
to our developing a number of guided missiles systems.
Thanks to their foresight
and agreement obtained
after some persuasion, the
country has a number of
missile systems for its defence.

 

[Laughing_soldier]

The Hindu : Education / Careers : Excellence in radar systems



A look at the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, Bangalore

AREAS OF WORK

Some of the specific applications developed for the three services are indicated below.

Army:

Multifunction phased array radar and 3D surveillance radar for the Akash missile weapon system.

Low-level light-weight 2D radar for mountainous terrain air defence.

3D tactical control radar for air defence.

Short-range battlefield surveillance radar.

Weapon locating radar.

Ground penetration radar.

Air Force

Active phased array radar for airborne early warning and control.

Low-level 2D air defence radar.

3D low-level lightweight radar.

3D medium range surveillance radar for air defence.

4D active array medium power radar

Airborne electronically scanned array radar for Tejas Mark II.

Ground-controlled interception

Navy

Maritime patrol radar for fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Inverse synthetic aperture radar for maritime patrol.

3D medium range surveillance radar.

Multifunction phased array radar for air-defence ship.

Maritime patrol airborne radar for unmanned aerial vehicle.

Coastal surveillance radar.

Technologies for the civil sector.

The LRDE has made contributions to the civilian applications as well. A few of these are mentioned below.

3D medium surveillance radar for efficient handling of large air traffic.

Industrial Perimeter Surveillance Radar: lightweight battery-powered radar for surveillance of large industrial, Defence and other installations to detect intruders up to a distance of 2 km. It can detect even a crawling man.

Antennas: solutions are available in X and Ku band for air-borne and land-based radars.

Avalanche Victim Detector: can be used by high-altitude trekkers and mountaineers as life-saving device in case of burial under avalanche or any other debris. Useful in the mining sector as well

The LRDE offers challenging opportunities for researchers with keen observation and an innovative mind.

Keywords: Radar systems, radio waves, Aircraft altimeters, LRDE, Inspectorate of Scientific Stores-Rawalpindi, FAX Mk I radar, Battlefield Surveillance Radar, Local Warning Radar, Low Flying Target Detection Radar, Rajendra Phased Array Radar, Maritime patrol radar

Waiting for the 4D MPR.