Miniature Radar Altimeter for Uninhabited Air Vehicles

Low cost, lightweight, compact altimetry offering the ultimate solution for integrated systems.

Roke launches their next generation of Miniature Radar Altimeters (MRAs) Type 1 and Type 2 at Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi), stand 976, 11-14th September 2007. Using technology from within their portfolio of innovative radar systems, Roke has designed and manufactured a product to meet the increased use of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and Uninhabited Air Vehicles (UAVs).

Both Type 1 and Type 2 MRAs offer an array of unique benefits: ease of installation, compact and lightweight design, ruggedized compact radome/integrated antenna, low altitude operation, highly precise height positioning, low probability of intercept waveforms (LPI), ROHS compliancy and are designed to meet RTCA/DO and MIL standards.

It is widely recognized that UAV Systems are the next evolutionary step for the aerospace industry. These systems have the capability to fulfill a number of key market applications including military, paramilitary, civil monitoring and surveying tasks.

Demand for UAV systems arise from low manufacturing and low operational costs; the flexibility of the aircraft to adjust to the particular needs of the user; and the reduced risk to human lives in difficult missions.

Roke's innovative MRAs deliver high performance, cost-effective solutions for UAV platforms. MRAs solve the existing challenges of conventional radar altimeters which are unsuitable for UAVs because of their heavy weight, high power consumption, low accuracy, and installation and deployment constraints.

As well as UAV usage, the MRA is also ideally suited for geophysical, wave height monitoring, airborne mapping, towed airborne targets, traffic monitoring and collision avoidance applications.

To meet these requirements, Roke offers two variants of the MRA – Type 1 and Type 2 for medium and low altitude Above Ground Level (AGL) measurement precision. The Type 1, 4.2-4.4 GHz MRA, is designed to operate between 1.5 – 800m with a nominal precision of 0.625m. The Type 2, 76-77 GHz MRA, is designed to operate between 0.2 – 100m with a nominal precision of 0.02m – ideal for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) applications.