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UK MoD wants to counteract offshore windfarm impact on its air-defense radars

Offshore wind farms and air-defense radars
Photo: UK MoD

The UK ministry of defense (MOD) is investing 2 million pounds in research on technology that would make sure future offshore windfarms do not interfere with its air defense radar system.

To this end, it has awarded contracts to Thales, QinetiQ, Saab, TWI and Plextek DTS to fast-track their ideas for technologies that could mitigate the impact of windfarms on crucial military communication.

“By guaranteeing essential defense communications are not affected, more wind farms can be built, creating a greener and more technologically sustainable Britain in record time,” the ministry said.

The MOD’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is spearheading the innovation competition on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Royal Air Force (RAF), and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

“We want more offshore wind farms to help deliver our ambitious environmental agenda while retaining the protection that radar provides,” defense minister Jeremy Quin said.

Possible solutions to offshore windfarms interfering with radars

DASA launched the Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence competition in March, to find innovative solutions that lessen the impact off-shore wind turbines could have on military and civilian radar systems.

The successful bidders in DASA’s competition offered wide-ranging and complex ideas to tackle radar interference.

Thales, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and SMEs, will develop surveillance to mitigate windfarm ‘clutter’, whereas Saab is developing a radar mitigation system using artificial intelligence and doppler filtering.

QinetiQ is developing two proposals – the first approach uses new materials to stop the radar from being distorted. Their second proposal will develop radar-absorbing materials that can be put on off-shore wind turbines to limit interference.

TWI will develop novel methods for creating conductive coating for turbine blades that adsorb radar in partnership with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation. Finally, Plextek DTS is developing techniques to remove the effects windfarms have on radar data.

“This competition will not only help us meet our green energy needs but it will also help boost UK prosperity, entrepreneurs and innovators by investing in their potentially game-changing technology,” Robert Hammond-Smith, DASA delivery manager, commented.