Helicopter flight and landing RADAR - A new technology developed in the European EUROSTARS program

A Team companies in Germany and Israel under leadership of RST Radar Systemtechnik GmbH is developing a new Radar system for increasing the flight safety in Helicopters. The RADAR “Heli-FLR” (Helicopter Flight and Landing RADAR) operating in Ka-Band is looking forward in Flight Mode detecting obstacles in the flight path of the helicopter. In Landing Mode it looks downwards providing a 3D topography of the landing site. The development makes maximum use of RST's experience in RADAR interferometry, ELBIT's experience in Helicopter-based visualization systems and the operations experience of the German Emergency Helicopter Organization DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht). For Ka-Band electronics RST procures units from the German Microwave Systems experts of MAXONIC. During the project, a prototype is developed. Ground tests will be undertaken in order to tune the radar parameters and check the overall performance of the system. These ground tests will be followed by flight tests, with the support of a potential end-user DRF, in order to be able to check system performance in real conditions of flight. The development is supported by the European Union in the EUROSTARS program.