• Radar is used to detect 'hard targets' such as aircraft, ships, surface vehicles and space objects. 

• It is often able to determine target speed and direction, and sometimes size or composition.

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• Radar is also used to detect diffuse phenomena in the atmosphere and space such as wind, rain, ice or plasmas.

• Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is able to detect objects, discontinuities or water/ice below ground.

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• Many parameters affect radar performance, such as;

  • target radar cross section (RCS) 
  • propagation losses due to distance, ground reflection, terrain/vegetation obstruction 
  • transmitting and receiving antenna gains, directivity
  • transmitter power
  • receiver sensitivity
  • background noise