WIND MAKES PEACE WITH AIR DEFENSE

MoD stops tilting at windmills
Geoff Brumfiel, March 31, 2010 (Nature)

"For several years now, Britain's burgeoning wind industry has had an unlikely foe: the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It's not that the MoD wants coal-powered tanks…[I]n fact they actually believe that climate change might be a dangerous, destabilizing event.

"The problem is [that] offshore wind farms place large spinning objects low to the horizon. Large spinning objects…[like] wind turbines scatter radar beams, creating "clutter" on observers' screens, and blinding them to certain areas. A low flying aircraft or cruise missile could use a wind farm to evade air defences…"

Lockheed Martin's deployable solution to the wind-radar conflict has freed massive amounts of emissions-free energy for the UK. (click to enlarge)

"Now a solution has been found for at least one part of the UK's air defence net…RenewableUK…[has] reached a deal with the MoD to replace the air defence radar at Trimingham with a shiny, new Lockheed Martin TPS-77…

"In 2008, the Danish Air Force conducted trials with the TPS-77 that showed it was able to discriminate between the windmills and aircraft. Under the agreement, the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change will kick in around £4 million for the US$15 million radar system, and a consortium of wind developers will provide an additional undisclosed amount."

The wind-radar conclict compromises hundreds of sites in the U.S. the Lockheed Martin TPS-77 could be a solution. (click to enlarge)

"In exchange, the MoD will drop its objection to five wind farms in various stages of planning along the Greater Wash region near Norfolk. Together, those farms will supply some 3 Gigawatts of wind power to Britain—around 10% of the nation's goal of 33 Gigawatts by 2020. The TPS-77 will keep vigil over the farms…

"Nicola Vaughan, Head of Aviation at RenewableUK, says that the agreement is a major step forward. There are still other areas where civil and military aviation officials have concerns Vaughan says, but…she thinks this agreement could pave the way to other projects."