Over the horizon radar down-under

Since the earliest days of military radar application Australia has had a vibrant radar research community, principally in government laboratories. From the 1960's researchers, benefitting from earlier experiments on HF radar detection of missiles, began to plan and implement over-the-horizon radar systems designed for defence surveillance off the Australian coast. Exposure to US experience and loan equipment allowed these demonstrator systems to be developed with limited resources and to demonstrate to strategic planners a capability for long-range wide-area air surveillance well matched to defence requirements. The outcome has been an Australian operational HF radar system termed the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) which has three separate but linked radar systems that form part of a layered surveillance network providing coverage of Australia's northern approaches. This paper traces the way in which far-sighted scientists and engineers in Australia's defence research agency from the 1960s linked a perceived strategic surveillance requirement with an appreciation of OTHR's potential to deliver a national capability.