The US military has tested a low-cost system designed to detect aircraft beyond the reach of long-range radars, aiming to close air surveillance gaps across Alaska and its surrounding waters.
The live-fly tests concluded a three-year experiment led by Alaskan Command with military, scientific, and international partners. Researchers are assessing whether an existing high-frequency transmitter paired with a newly developed receiver array can extend detection coverage across remote parts of the Arctic.
The team used the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility and a receiver array deployed in Cold Bay. The setup collected data on aircraft flying over the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea.
Initial results showed the system detected aircraft using skywave propagation, which allows radio signals to travel beyond the horizon by reflecting off the ionosphere.
“Understanding what this technology can do in the Arctic starts with collecting data under real operating conditions,” Dr. Carolyn Stwertka, chief scientist at Alaskan Command, said.
US Expands Arctic Defense Capabilities
The experiment is part of a broader effort to improve the US military’s ability to operate across the Arctic.
Alaska is central to North American air and missile defense because of its position between the continental US, Russia, and the Arctic approaches. Existing radar networks provide important coverage, but remote areas and difficult operating conditions make it challenging to maintain continuous awareness across the region.
The US military has also invested in systems and infrastructure suited to cold-weather operations. The North Warning System, a network of long-range and short-range radar sites across Alaska and Canada, supports aerospace warning and surveillance of northern approaches.
In October, the US military researchers tested cold-weather base camps and modular facilities designed to operate in temperatures as low as -65 degrees Fahrenheit (-54 degrees Celsius), addressing the practical challenges of sustaining personnel and equipment in remote Arctic locations.