Subelement A: RADAR Principles – 10 Key Topics – 10 Exam Questions – 8 Drawings— Topic 3: Frequency and Wavelength
Question 8-3A6
Element 8 (RADAR)An X band RADAR operates in which frequency band?
Explanation
Radar frequency bands are designated by letters (e.g., L, S, C, X, Ku, K, Ka) as a historical convention that originated during World War II for military radar systems. Each letter corresponds to a specific range of microwave frequencies.
The X-band is specifically defined as the frequency range from 8 to 12 GHz. This band is widely used for various radar applications, including weather surveillance, maritime navigation, air traffic control, military fire control, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), due to its good balance of antenna size, resolution, and atmospheric propagation characteristics.
Options A, B, and C represent different, lower frequency radar bands. For example, 1-2 GHz (A) is typically L-band, 2-4 GHz (B) is S-band, and 4-8 GHz (C) is C-band. Each of these bands has different properties and applications distinct from X-band.
Related Questions
8-3A4 A RADAR operating at a frequency of 3 GHz has a wavelength of approximately:8-3A5 The major advantage of an S-band RADAR over an X-band RADAR is:8-40E1 The VSWR of a microwave transmission line device might be measured using:8-40E2 The impedance total (ZO) of a transmission line can be calculated by ZO = √L/C when L and C are known. When a section of transmission line contains 250 microhenries of L and 1000 picofarads of C, its impedance total (ZO) will be:8-40E3 If long-length transmission lines are not properly shielded and terminated: