Experimental results from a long-range HF ground wave coastal surveillance radar

The HF ground wave radar (GWR) system is capable of monitoring a coastal area of 160000 km. The range of the system is 400 km and it has a 120 degrees steering capability. The 40-element phased array receive antenna and the wideband radar waveform allow targets to be located with a range resolution of 400 m and an azimuthal resolution of about 3 degrees . Sample experimental results are presented for the detection of discrete targets such as vessels, low-flying aircraft and ice hazards. The ocean environmental parameters are extracted from the radar ocean clutter signals. Experimental results show the estimation of wave parameters, surface currents and surface winds. Ground-truthed data for discrete target detections as well as for ocean parameter measurements are shown to compare favorably with the radar information.