Soon, a state-of-the-art radar facility at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will help Indian Navy gather vital information on weather conditions while carrying out helicopter operations and training for its personnel.
The varsity’s Stratosphere Troposphere (ST) Radar, which is expected to become fully operational by January, is expected to play a key role in forecasting severe weather conditions.
Scientists at Cusat held preliminary discussions with the officials of the Southern Naval Command here ahead of forging a mutually beneficial partnership while utilising the benefits of the Rs.20-crore facility on the varsity’s Thrikkakara campus.
“Besides Navy, we have also apprised the officials at the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) at Nedumbassery about the new facility. Continuous information available from ST Radar is highly useful to understand the cloud formation, changes in the atmospheric circulation pattern, thunderstorm development and air turbulence,” said K. Mohankumar, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research.
Vice Chancellor J. Letha said the radar facility would also issue weather bulletins to the public from November 1 onwards. “It will be available on the websites of the varsity and the centre on a weekly basis,” she said.
Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the radar facility will operate at 205 MHz frequency range. “It’s quite unique, highly reliable and economic.
The basic design, development, testing, installation were done in the country. We have successfully tested the prototype radar with 49 antenna array element and its now working in experimental mode. The main ST Radar with 619 Antenna array system is at the installation stage,” Dr. Mohankumar said.
