January 16, 2012
England

£27m radar after turbine defence blow

Yorkshire Post, www.yorkshirepost.co.uk 14 January 2012

The Government is to spend £27m developing new radar technology for a site near the North Yorkshire coast to ensure the UK’s air defences are not impeded by the large numbers of wind turbines planned for the area.

Serco Group announced yesterday it has been awarded a two-year contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deploy innovative new radar technology at Remote Radar Head Staxton Wold, North Yorkshire, and at a second site in Northumberland.

Serco said it will work with US defence giant Lockheed Martin to develop and provide radar technology which “resists interference created by wind farm turbine blades.” The firm said the lack of such technology has previously impeded the roll-out of wind farms in line of sight of air defence radar stations.

The firm’s chief executive Christopher Hyman said: “Serco’s innovative approach is enabling the delivery of a key programme to the MoD whilst helping address one of the challenges of developing wind farms in the UK.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/16/27m-radar-after-turbine-defence-blow/