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The Radar Engineering and Development team includes technicians and engineers in charge of maintenance and development of NSSL's radar facilities. In order to keep NSSL's radar facilities in top operating conditions, RED engineers perform maintenance and repairs and stay on top of advances in science and technology to improve radar operations. These radars include the dual-polarized WSR-88D and Phased Array Radar. RED engineers design, develop, and deploy new hardware and software in continuous support of NSSL's evolving research mission. Current projects include:
Reflectivity display of the first tornadic storm captured with the NWRT
Phased Array Radar (PAR)
The Phased Array Radar is a unique research radar built to investigate the application of electronically steerable antennas to weather observation. The PAR is the core of the National Weather Radar Testbed where phased array technology will be tested and evaluated as a cost-effective option for replacing the Nation's aging multiple radar networks and significantly improving civilian weather and aircraft surveillance.
Multi-function Phased Array Radar (MPAR)
NSSL believes the future of weather and aircraft surveillance is in the Multi-function Phased Array Radar (MPAR). The rapid and random beam positioning capability will enable aircraft detection and tracking while observing meteorological events. Proof of operational and network concepts will be carried out at the NWRT using phased array technology.
X-band and C-band Radars
NSSL is working with the University of Oklahoma to develop and deploy a mobile dual-polarized X-band radar. The dual-pol X-band radar will be a modern and versatile facility that will allow our researchers to get closer to interesting phenomena in various locations and climates; Work is also underway to investigate the possibility of upgrading one of the SMART-R C-band radars to allow dual-polarized operation.
