Technology / Radar Glossary

Absorption: The process, in which incident radiated energy is retained by the medium without being reflected or transmitted on passing through a medium.

Aerial: Antenna.

Afterglow: The slowly decaying luminescence of the screen of the cathode-ray tube after excitation by an electron beam has ceased. See persistence.

Airborne Radar: An airborne radar is carried by an aircraft.

Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS): The AWACS is a system mounted in a boeing e3 aircraft that provides airborne surveillance and command and control (c2) functions.

Airport Radar: Airport radar provides information to air traffic controllers on aircraft in the local air space.

Amplify: To increase the strength of a radar signal or echo.

Antenna: A conductor or system of conductors consist­ing of horn and reflector used for radiating or receiving radar waves. Also called aerial.

Anti-Clutter Control: A means for reducing or eliminating interferences from sea return and weather.

Anti-Clutter Rain Control: An electronic circuit that suppresses the reflected radar energy from rain and other forms of precipitation to prevent masking of objects that might otherwise be lost in the clutter. Also ca . . . View Full Definition

Anti-Clutter Sea Control: An electronic circuit that suppresses clutter caused by the reflection of echoes from waves in a seaway. Sea clutter could obscure the return from other objects in the area. Also called stc . . . View Full Definition

Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM): An anti-radiation missile is able to guide itself to destroy a radar using the signal transmitted by the radar. Destruction of the radar or intimidation of the operators is the most positive . . . View Full Definition

Attenuation: The decrease in the strength of a radar wave resulting from absorption, scattering, and reflection by the medium through which it passes (waveguide, atmosphere) and by obstructions in its pa . . . View Full Definition

Automatic Frequency Control (AFC): An electronic means for preventing drift in radio frequency or maintaining the frequency within specified limits. The afc maintains the local oscillator of the radar on the frequency necessa . . . View Full Definition

Azimuth: While this term is frequently used for bearing in radar applications, the term azimuth is usually restricted to the direction of celestial bodies among marine navigators.

Barrage Jamming: Barrage jamming is used when there is a need to jam over a wide bandwidth simultaneously. Barrage jamming is an attractive technique because a range of different radars (including frequency . . . View Full Definition

Beam Width: The angular width of a radar beam between half-power points. See lobe.

Bearing: The direction of the line of sight from the radar antenna to the contact. Sometimes called azimuth although in marine usage the latter term is usually restricted to the directions of celesti . . . View Full Definition

Bearing Cursor: The radial line inscribed on a transparent disk which can be rotated manually about an axis coincident with the center of the ppi. It is used for bearing determination. Other lines inscribed . . . View Full Definition

Bistatic Radar: A bistatic radar system uses different antennas for transmission and reception.

Blind Range: Targets falling within the blind range range from the radar system are not detected.

Blind Sector: A sector on the radarscope in which radar echoes cannot be received because of an obstruction near the antenna. See shadow sector.

Brilliance Control: Adjusts the intensity or brightness of the screen.

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT): The radarscope (picture tube) within which a stream of electrons is directed against a fluorescent screen (ppi). On the face of the tube or screen (ppi), light is emitted at points where the . . . View Full Definition

Chaff: Chaff refers to large quantities of passive reflecting material deployed in the atmosphere to counter or confuse enemy radar. Chaff was (almost) simultaneously introduced during world war ii . . . View Full Definition

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