Frank H. Sanders

Abstract:

Of all the radio system types that occupy the electromagnetic spectrum, perhaps none are so important while also being so generally misunderstood, even within technical communities, as radars. Radar technology, the revolutionary innovation that the Allies leveraged to win the Second World War, gained a notoriety and reputation for mystery and secrecy in those years that it has never entirely shaken. To this day, radar systems are frequently the subject of poorly informed debates and exchanges regarding their spectrum use, their spectrum needs, and their potential for coexistence (or not) with other radio systems.

The introduction to this talk, delivered originally at the IEEE Radar Conference Plenary in May 2024, provides a historical perspective on radar spectrum use and engineering, beginning with some of the author’s world-spanning adventures in measuring radar spectra and resolving radar-related interference problems from the 1980s to the present. Recognizing the unique characteristics of radars that distinguish them from all other radio systems (including the highest effective radiated power levels combined with the most exquisitely sensitive receivers), the author lays out the direction in which spectrum management and coexistence requirements between radars and other radio systems are now moving.

The challenges to designing, developing and operating radars are far greater now than they have ever been in the past. Simultaneously, the collective needs for radars, in remote sensing; air and maritime traffic surveillance and management; surveillance and defense; and other applications are also greater than at any time in the past. The author concludes with his own outlook, and conclusions, on how to meet these needs and challenges as we move into a new world.

Keywords: radar; spectrum; interference mitigation; air traffic control (ATC) radar; radar band; maritime radar; surveillance radar; radio systems

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