2025 Agenda

Rotating antennas have long been the default solution to enable 360° airspace coverage, for both primary and secondary surveillance radar. The physical rotation of these antenna systems requires rotary joints for signal and power distribution, makes them sensitive to environmental and weather impacts and drives maintenance costs. Non-rotating alternatives have been around for some time, but mainly as the preserve of exotic and very expensive military radar systems.
Advances in digital signal processing technologies and the commercial availability of high frequency RF components are enabling the development of innovative radar antenna solutions. Non-rotating arrays or NORA systems have been prototyped in recent years. Now, NORA has been demonstrated as a valid alternative for its rotating siblings, eliminating the drawbacks while improving on detection performance.
Non-rotating arrays have the obvious advantage of being much easier to maintain than parabolic antennas. There are no rotating elements to maintain and periodically replace, and the effects of wind and other weather conditions are far less detrimental to the overall performance of the system. A non-rotating array is also much easier to install and can integrate power electronics and distribution, making it even more powerful.
Advanced data processing allows the implementation of multiple beam scanning options such as continuous electronic rotation, confirmation look-backs and sector scanning. Beam configurations are theoretically unlimited. Useful applications are the use of dual beam configurations, azimuth offset for longer dwell times, higher update rates or combined surveillance/tracking beams.
Intersoft Electronics makes its NORA systems available to the civil market at a similar capital cost and reduced life cycle cost compared to conventional mechanically rotating antenna systems. Non-Rotating Arrays are a major innovation on the way to modular radar systems that are much easier to maintain than conventional radar designs.