| Terrain-following Radar |
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Information AboutTerrain-following Radar |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT TERRAIN-FOLLOWING RADAR | |
| aircraft radars | |
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This technology is primarily used by Military Aircraft , to enable them to fly at very low altitudes in order to avoid detection by enemy radars and interception by Anti-aircraft systems. It is also sometimes used by civilian aircraft that map the ground and wish to maintain a constant height over it. The system works by periodically transmitting a Radar signal downward and slightly forward. A computer computes the aircraft's height from the ground based on the signal's round-trip time and alters the aircraft's altitude in such a way as to keep a constant height above the ground just ahead. Terrain-following radar is a necessity for high-speed low-flying aircraft, since a human pilot cannot react quickly enough to changing terrain heights, and has a much larger probability of crashing into an unexpected mountainside than an automated system in the same circumstances. It should be noted that even an automated system utilizing terrain-following radar has a limited response time. Therefore, each system (and the aircraft on which it's installed) has a list of limitation in terms of the combination of maximal speed and minimal altitude allowed. The lower the necessary height above ground, the lower the maximal allowed aircraft speed, and vice versa. The exact limitation figures change with radar type, with aircraft type and weight, and with the current Meteorological conditions. |
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