This book describes the application of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar to earth remote sensing based on research at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This book synthesizes all current research to provide practical information for both the newcomer and the expert in radar polarimetry. The text offers a concise description of the mathematical fundamentals illustrated with many examples using SAR data, with a main focus on remote sensing of the earth.

The book begins with basics of synthetic aperture radar to provide the basis for understanding how polarimetric SAR images are formed and gives an introduction to the fundamentals of radar polarimetry. It goes on to discuss more advanced polarimetric concepts that allow one to infer more information about the terrain being imaged. In order to analyze data quantitatively, the signals must be calibrated carefully, which the book addresses in a chapter summarizing the basic calibration algorithms. The book concludes with examples of applying polarimetric analysis to scattering from rough surfaces, to infer soil moisture from radar signals.

"A well-constructed and concisely written book, incorporating a balanced combination of textual explanations and well-presented mathematical descriptions, which serves both as an introduction to many important aspects of radar but also as an extensive exercise in the usage and application of both the MATLAB and Python programming applications. It is eminently readable and understandable. I assess that it is probably most relevant to post graduate student scientists and engineers requiring a moderately detailed understanding of aspects of radar with a view to practical applications" Aerospace Magazine This comprehensive resource provides readers with the tools necessary to perform analysis of various waveforms for use in radar systems. It provides information about how to produce synthetic aperture (SAR) images by giving a tomographic formulation and implementation for SAR imaging. Tracking filter fundamentals, and each parameter associated with the filter and how each affects tracking performance are also presented. Various radar cross section measurement techniques are covered, along with waveform selection analysis through the study of the ambiguity function for each particular waveform from simple linear frequency modulation (LFM) waveforms to more complicated coded waveforms. The text includes the Python tool suite, which allows the reader to analyze and predict radar performance for various scenarios and applications. Also provided are MATLAB (R) scripts corresponding to the Python tools. The software includes a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that provides visualizations of the concepts being covered. Users have full access to both the Python and MATLAB source code to modify for their application. With examples using the tool suite are given at the end of each chapter, this text gives readers a clear understanding of how important target scattering is in areas of target detection, target tracking, pulse integration, and target discrimination.

Here's a thorough overview of the state-of-the-art in design and implementation of advanced tracking for single and multiple sensor systems. This practical resource provides modern system designers and analysts with in-depth evaluations of sensor management, kinematic and attribute data processing, data association, situation assessment, and modern tracking and data fusion methods as applied in both military and non-military arenas.

Whether you desire background information to get you up-to-speed or if you want to access only the most recently developed advanced methods, the book's modular chapter structure makes its easy for you to get the specific information you're looking for quickly. You get full coverage of tracking topics such as:
Passive ranging and interactive multiple model (IMM) filtering
Multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) data association
Bayesian and Dempster-Shafer attribute fusion
Multiple sensor tracking methods for distributed systems such as for space based surveillance systems
Use of tracking data for situation assessment and sensor management
Track fusion and track-before-detect (TBD) methods
Efficient allocation of agile beam radar resources

Bistatic radars have been a focus of study since the earliest days of radar research. Despite this, until recently only a few bistatic systems have crossed the experimental study threshold and, consequently, there is little known about them compared to their monostatic counterparts. Now, however, there is fast growing interest in bistatic radar, due to its importance in the development of defence, remote sensing, aerospace, meteorological and navigation application fields, as well as its unique peculiarities. These include: covert operational ability relevant to the receiver position, counter-stealth ability, and a potentially reduced cost as one transmitter can be used to send information to several receivers.

With contributions from international experts working with bistatic radar, this book, the first in a series on bistatic radar, provides an introduction to the technology, covering information on basic principles and design. Starting with a detailed look at monostatic radar, examining the development of the field as a whole, the book then goes on to:

introduce the classical aspects of bistatic radar such as geometry, power budget and resolution; present an in depth analysis of bistatic scattering of electromagnetic waves; provide an overview of the bistatic radar potential which follows from their bistatic nature; discuss forward scattering radar; investigate forward scattering radar for air targets detection and tracking; set out an experimental study of real world forward scattering radar.

Bistatic Radars: Principles and Practice gives an up-to-date overview of this important technology for practising engineers and researchers involved in the design andimplementation of bistatic radar in a range of industries. It is also a valuable reference for advanced students taking special courses in radar technology.

This book presents the fundamentals of polarimetric radar remote sensing through understanding wave scattering and propagation in geophysical media filled with hydrometers and other objects. The text characterizes the physical, statistical, and electromagnetic properties of hydrometers and establishes the relations between radar observables and physical state parameters. It introduces advanced remote sensing techniques (such as polarimetric phased array radar) and retrieval methods for physical parameters. The book also illustrates applications of polarimetric radar measurements in hydrometer classification, particle size distribution retrievals, microphysical parameterization, and weather quantification and forecast.

Radar Hydrology: Principles, Models, and Applications provides graduate students, operational forecasters, and researchers with a theoretical framework and practical knowledge of radar precipitation estimation. The only text on the market solely devoted to radar hydrology, this comprehensive reference: Begins with a brief introduction to radar Focuses on the processing of radar data to arrive at accurate estimates of rainfall Addresses advanced radar sensing principles and applications Covers radar technologies for observing each component of the hydrologic cycle Examines state-of-the-art hydrologic models and their inputs, parameters, state variables, calibration procedures, and outputs Discusses contemporary approaches in data assimilation Concludes with methods, case studies, and prediction system design Includes downloadable MATLAB (R) content Flooding is the #1 weather-related natural disaster worldwide. Radar Hydrology: Principles, Models, and Applications aids in understanding the physical systems and detection tools, as well as designing prediction systems.

Radar Expert, Esteemed Author Gregory L. Charvat on CNN and CBS

Author Gregory L. Charvat appeared on CNN on March 17, 2014 to discuss whether Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 might have literally flown below the radar. He appeared again on CNN on March 20, 2014 to explain the basics of radar, and he explored the hope and limitations of the technology involved in the search for Flight 370 on CBS on March 22, 2014.

Get His Book Now

Coupling theory with reality, from derivation to implementation of actual radar systems, Small and Short-Range Radar Systems analyzes and then provides design procedures and working design examples of small and short-range radar systems. Discussing applications from automotive to through-wall imaging, autonomous vehicle, and beyond, the practical text supplies high-level descriptions, theoretical derrivations, back-of-envelope calculations, explanations of processing algorithms, and case studies for each type of small radar system covered, including continuous wave (CW), ultrawideband (UWB) impulse, linear frequency modulation (FM), linear rail synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and phased array. This essential reference:

• Explains how to design your own radar devices
• Demonstrates how to process data from small radar sensors
• Provides real-world, measured radar data to test algorithms before investing development time

Complete with downloadable MATLAB(r) scripts and actual radar measurements, Small and Short-Range Radar Systems empowers you to rapidly develop small radar technology for your application.

The important and fascinating topics of radar enjoy an extensive audience in industry and government but deserve more attention in undergraduate education to better prepare graduating engineers to meet the demands of modern mankind. Radar is not only one of the major applications of electronics and electromagnetic communications, but it is also a mature scientific discipline with significant theoretical and mathematical foundations that warrant an intellectual and educational challenge. Fundamental Principles of Radar is a textbook providing a first exposure to radar principles. It provides a broad concept underlying the basic principle of operations of most existing radar systems and maintains a good balance of mathematical rigor to convince readers without losing interest. The book provides an extensive exposition of the techniques currently being used for radar system design, analysis, and evaluation. It presents a comprehensive set of radar principles, including all features of modern radar applications, with their underlying derivations using simple mathematics. Coverage is limited to the main concepts of radar in order to present them in a systematic and organized fashion. Topics are treated not as abstruse and esoteric to the point of incomprehensibility, but the very complex and rich technology of radar is distilled into its fundamentals. The author's emphasis is on clarity without sacrificing rigor and completeness, thus making the book broad enough to satisfy a variety of backgrounds and interests. Thorough documentation provides an unusual degree of completeness for a textbook at this level, with interesting and sometimes thought-provoking content to make the subject even more appealing. Key Features: Covers a wide range of topics in radar systems Includes examples and exercises to reinforce the concepts presented and explain their applications Provides self-contained chapters useful for readers seeking selective topics Provides broad concepts underlying the basic principles of operations of most types of radars in use today Includes documentation to lead to further reading of interesting concepts and applications

Over the last ten years, the numbers of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) or "drones" have changed from being just a few specialist systems, used for scientific data gathering and military purposes, to them proliferating in huge numbers. They are used across a broad range of different leisure, commercial and military activities. UAVs can be used for: movement of items in factories for manufacturing, passenger and freight transportation, can take various roles in the agriculture and forestry industries (dispensing seeds, watering and monitoring crops), remote sensing for the oil and gas industries, traffic flow monitoring, support of emergency services, hobbies, security, military and many other applications. The expansion in the use of unmanned air vehicles has come about due to the development of low cost, high performance stable platforms, employing equally low-cost communication and navigation systems supplemented by simple to use software and interfaces. Therefore, there is a need to be able to monitor the rapidly changing use of airspace, especially at low and normally neglected altitudes to ensure UAVs do not compromise safety or are used for malicious purposes. Radar is the only sensor able to perform this function on a 24-hour, all weather, wide-area basis. This book, concerned with radar surveillance of UAVs, has been compiled using contributions from the leading experts around the world to create a single body of knowledge on this important, yet still emerging, topic. It is aimed at advanced students and researchers with an interest in radar systems.

Expanding the range of antenna frequency is the main objective of this book. Solutions proposed are based on the development of new theoretical methods for analyzing and synthesizing antennas. The book shows that concentrated capacitive loads connected along linear and V-antennas provide a high level of matching with a cable over a wide frequency range and improves directional characteristics of antennas, i.e. increases the communication distance. New theoretical methods are proposed for analysis and synthesis of antennas under consideration: 1) method of calculating directional characteristics of radiators with a given current distribution, and 2) method of electrostatic analogy for calculating mutual and total fields of complex multi-element radiating structures. These methods allow us to obtain optimal directional characteristics for director-type antennas (arrays of Yagi-Uda) and log-periodic antennas with concentrated capacitances and show that use of capacitors makes it possible to extend the frequency range of the director antennas and to decrease dimensions of the log-periodic antennas Multi-element (flat and three-dimensional) self-complementary antennas with different variants of connecting generator poles and cable wires to antenna elements are proposed, which improves the matching with a cable. Characteristics of flat structures are compared with characteristics of volume structures: conical, parabolic, and located on a pyramid edges. The book describes new versions of transparent antennas, antennas for cellular communication, multi-tier and multi-radiator antennas, and much more.

Introduction to Radar Analysis, Second Edition is a major revision of the popular textbook. It is written within the context of communication theory as well as the theory of signals and noise. By emphasizing principles and fundamentals, the textbook serves as a vital source for students and engineers. Part I bridges the gap between communication, signal analysis, and radar. Topics include modulation techniques and associated Continuous Wave (CW) and pulsed radar systems. Part II is devoted to radar signal processing and pulse compression techniques. Part III presents special topics in radar systems including radar detection, radar clutter, target tracking, phased arrays, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Many new exercise are included and the author provides comprehensive easy-to-follow mathematical derivations of all key equations and formulas. The author has worked extensively for the U.S. Army, the U.S. Space and Missile Command, and other military agencies. This is not just a textbook for senior level and graduates students, but a valuable tool for practicing radar engineers. Features Authored by a leading industry radar professional. Comprehensive up-to-date coverage of radar systems analysis issues. Easy to follow mathematical derivations of all equations and formulas Numerous graphical plots and table format outputs. One part of the book is dedicated to radar waveforms and radar signal processing.

This full color book is a comprehensive visual reference for the interpretation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with examples of how technological specifications may affect interpretation solutions. It contains a summary review of image acquisition parameters of consequence on the visual representation of objects, introduces traditional interpretation keys under different light and applies them for considering regional landscape components and identifying large-scale geographical ensembles. Through elements of interpretation such as the construct of tone, texture, pattern, size, and shape, the book explains the rich unique context of many terrains. It provides also several SAR X- and C-band image examples of regional and large-scale land use and land cover (LULC) ensembles, includes important explanations for each illustration, and highlights selected SAR image applications. Ancillary information includes acquisition specifications, a geographic scale, and the image-center latitude and longitude. Features: Provides ready access to any type of information for an image interpretation problem related to current LULC classification schemes. Presents scalable geographic information interpreted at a regional scale and land cover ensembles that can also be interpreted locally. Provides comparative examples of images acquired from X- and C-band, opposed look directions, near- and far-range incidence angles, like- and cross-polarization modes. Includes practical explanations easily transferred to individual's research projects. Designed as "visual dictionary," SAR Image Interpretation for Various Land Covers: A Practical Guide, is an excellent introduction to the visual interpretation of SAR images for numerous types of LULC. Both practitioners and students will familiarize themselves with and expand their knowledge of geographic information conveyed from radar images while government agencies and businesses that use LULC-related data for emergency response cases of for urban and regional planning, will find this book invaluable.

"Principles of Modern Radar: Basic Principles" is a comprehensive and modern textbook for courses in radar systems and technology at the college senior and graduate student level; a professional training textbook for formal in-house courses for new hires; a reference for ongoing study following a radar short course; and a self-study and professional reference book. "Principles of Modern Radar" focuses on four key areas: Basic concepts, such as the the radar range equation and threshold detection; radar signal phenomenology, such as radar cross section models, clutter, atmospheric effects, and Doppler effects; descriptions of all major subsystems of modern radars, such as the antenna, transmitter, receiver, including modern architectural elements such as exciters, and advanced signal processors; and signal and data processing basics, from digital signal processing (DSP) fundamentals, through detection, Doppler processing, waveforms and pulse compression, basic imaging concepts, and tracking fundamentals. While several established books address introductory radar systems, "Principles of Modern Radar" differs from these in its breadth of coverage, its emphasis on current methods (without losing sight of bedrock principles), and its adoption of an appropriate level of quantitative rigor for the intended audience of students and new professional hires. The manuscript for this book was reviewed by over 50 professionals in academia, military, and commercial enterprises. These reviewers were among thousands of potential users approached by the publisher and asked to share their expertise and experience in radar training and instruction. Their extensive comments, corrections, and insights ensure that "Principles of Modern Radar" will meet the needs of modern radar educators and students around the world. Written and edited by world-renowned radar instructors and critically reviewed by users before publication, this is truly a radar community-driven book.

In this monograph S.R. Cloude introduces, for the first time, the topics of radar polarimetry and interferometry. This topic was first developed in 1997 and has since developed into a major topic in radar sciences and its applications, in particular to space sciences. In its simplest form it concerns the study of interferograms formed by combining waves with different polarizations and their exploitation to infer important physical properties of the planetary surface being investigated.
Written in three main sections, the first four chapters provide a detailed coverage of all major topics of polarimetry, including its basis in electromagnetic scattering theory, decomposition theorems and a detailed analysis of the entropy/alpha approach. The next chapter offers a brief introduction to radar interferometry, before developing in three chapters the important new topic of polarimetric interferometry. In this way it provides a complete treatment of the subject, suitable for those working in interferometry who wish to know about polarimetry, or vice versa, as well as those new to the topic who are looking for a one-stop comprehensive treatment of the subject. The emphasis throughout is on the application of these techniques to remote sensing and the book concludes with a set of practical examples to illustrate the theoretical ideas.

Radar networks are increasingly regarded as an efficient approach to enhancing radar capabilities in the face of popular anti-radar techniques and hostile operating environments. Reader-friendly and self-contained, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest radar networking technologies. The text addresses basic, relevant aspects of radar signal processing and statistical theories, including both civilian and military radar applications. It also discusses emerging topics that directly relate to networks, such as multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radars, waveform design, and diversity via multiple transmitters. Other topics covered include target recognition and imaging using radar networks. Features Gives a comprehensive view of the latest radar network technologies Covers both civilian and military applications of radar Provides basic statistics and signal processing necessary for understanding radar networks Includes up-to-date information on MIMO radars Presents waveform design and diversity for radar networks with multiple transmitters

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic framework for the design of adaptive architectures, which take advantage of the available a priori information to enhance the detection performance. Moreover, this framework also provides guidelines to develop decision schemes capable of estimating the target position within the range bin. To this end, the readers are driven step-by-step towards those aspects that have to be accounted for at the design stage, starting from the exploitation of system and/or environment information up to the use of target energy leakage (energy spillover), which allows inferring on the target position within the range cell under test.In addition to design issues, this book presents an extensive number of illustrative examples based upon both simulated and real-recorded data. Moreover, the performance analysis is enriched by considerations about the trade-off between performances and computational requirements.Finally, this book could be a valuable resource for PhD students, researchers, professors, and, more generally, engineers working on statistical signal processing and its applications to radar systems.

An indispensable resource for all those who design, build, manage, and operate electronic navigation systems

Avionics Navigation Systems, Second Edition, is a complete guide to the art and science of modern electronic navigation, focusing on aircraft. It covers electronic navigation systems in civil and military aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and manned spacecraft. It has been thoroughly updated and expanded to include all of the major advances that have occurred since the publication of the classic first edition. It covers the entire field from basic navigation principles, equations, and state-of-the-art hardware to emerging technologies. Each chapter is devoted to a different system or technology and provides detailed information about its functions, design characteristics, equipment configurations, performance limitations, and directions for the future. You'll find everything you need to know about:

• Traditional ground-based radio navigation
• Satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, and their augmentations
• New inertial systems, including optical rate sensors, micromechanical accelerometers, and high-accuracy stellar-inertial navigators
• Instrument Landing System and its successors
• Integrated communication-navigation systems used on battlefields
• Airborne mapping, Doppler, and multimode radars
• Terrain matching
• Special needs of military aircraft
• And much more

Since the publication of Kayton and Fried's classic work, Avionics Navigation Systems, almost thirty years ago, tremendous strides have been made in the science and practice of navigation: satellite systems, improved sensors, new computer technology and software, interconnected avionics subsystems, and more. Completely updated to include the latest advances in navigation theory, hardware, and software, this brand-new edition provides comprehensive, unified coverage of the principles of modern navigation equipment and systems.

The initial chapters establish the conceptual and technical foundations of the subject, with a concise overview of electronic navigation and a review of crucial principles and equations. Each of the ensuing chapters provides in-depth treatment of a specific navigation technology, including ground-based radio-navigation aids; satellite-based radio-navigation aids; integrated communication-navigation systems; inertial and stellar-inertial navigation systems; air-data sensors and algorithms that derive airspeed, angles of attack and sideslip, and barometric altitude; attitude and heading sensors and displays; Doppler radars, radar altimeters, and mapping radars; and terrain map-matching. The book concludes with a description of land-based and aircraft-carrier-based landing aids, air-traffic management, and avionic interfaces.

Retaining the user-friendly organization of the first edition, each chapter presents basic functions and principles, and then discusses design characteristics and equipment configurations, performance limitations, and sources of error. Each chapter concludes with a prediction of future trends. Comparative performance levels, weights, power consumption, and costs are described where possible. A thorough index makes it easy to find material quickly.

Avionics Navigation Systems, Second Edition, is an indispensable resource for all engineers and systems analysts who design, build, and maintain navigation and avionics equipment, as well as for the pilots and operations staff who use it.

Waveguide Junction Circulators brings together for the first time all the design aspects of this class of device. In a typical application the circulator allows a single antenna to be used for both transmission and reception. Together with semiconductor, passive and electronic devices, the circulator constitutes an essential building block in modern radar, satellite and telecommunication equipment. Features include:
* Examination of the properties and adjustments of the 3-port junction circulator and focus on the gyromagnetic resonator
* Description of the design of practical classic circulator arrangements
* Discussion of aspects of filter theory in the design of the classic 3-port junction circulator
* Consideration of practical concerns such as insertion loss and commercial specifications
Written by a leading academic authority and experienced industrial consultant, Waveguide Junction Circulators is a vital information source for designers working in microwave engineering. This valuable guide provides the academic researcher with a firm foundation in the theoretical aspects of this class of device whilst offering the industrial engineer an experimental platform for commercial design.

This book reports the latest results in the study of Bistatic/Multistatic SAR system and signal processing techniques. Novel research ideas and experimental verification have been collected on all kinds of configurations of Bistatic/Multistatic SAR system, including the preliminary construction of system model, imaging algorithm design, mission design and the corresponding application representations etc. Handy well-prepared tables are provided for readers' quick-reference, and the practical design of an interferometric SAR system is illustrated step by step. The book will be of interest to university researchers, R&D engineers and graduate students in Remote Sensing who wish to learn the core principles, methods, algorithms, and applications of Bistatic/Multistatic SAR system.

Completely modernized, greatly expanded, but retaining all the magic of the 2nd edition, Introduction to Airborne Radar has been brought into the 21st century without losing the hallmarks that made George Stimson's previous editions unique. Every chapter has been updated to reflect the constant transformations in radar technology and end-of-chapter exercises have also been added, improving its employment as a textbook. Over 100 radar and EW experts from around the world were involved in reviewing, writing, and editing this book, each one a longtime user of the previous editions. Each one of them was tasked with making sure this third edition lives up to its legacy of 'Introduction.' Stimson's is written specifically as an overview without going overboard on the math. Virtually anyone with a knowledge of high school algebra, trigonometry, and physics will be able to read and absorb the vast majority of the material. The first 17 chapters provide fundamentals that can be used by air, ground, and sea-based personnel. Every chapter provides extensive fundamental materials and practical applications, using visual system exemplars to aid explanations. The unique full color layout is enhanced with an immense number of illustrations, figures, tables, and color photographs. Key features: Modernized to reflect changes in the past 20 years including electronic scanning antennas and high resolution imaging. Completely covers the wide range of techniques employed in modern airborne and space borne radars. Fundamentals are applicable to ground and sea-based radar. Clear, understandable writing supplemented by extensive graphic illustration of concepts and offset boxes taking those concepts to the next level. Community reviewed by over 100 radar experts from organizations worldwide.

This book presents the theory, analysis and design of microwave stepped-frequency radar sensors. Stepped-frequency radar sensors are attractive for various sensing applications that require fine resolution. The book consists of five chapters. The first chapter describes the fundamentals of radar sensors including applications followed by a review of ultra-wideband pulsed, frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW), and stepped-frequency radar sensors. The second chapter discusses a general analysis of radar sensors including wave propagation in media and scattering on targets, as well as the radar equation. The third chapter addresses the analysis of stepped-frequency radar sensors including their principles and design parameters. Chapter 4 presents the development of two stepped-frequency radar sensors at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies based on microwave integrated circuits (MICs), microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) and printed-circuit antennas, and discusses their signal processing. Chapter 5 provides the electrical characterization and test results of the developed microwave and millimeter-wave stepped-frequency radar sensors. Finally, a summary and conclusion is provided.

Originally published in 1954, as a second edition of a 1947 original, this book explores in depth the rapid research and development of radar technology throughout the Second World War. Notably, the subject matter of radar falls into two distinct categories: the principles of the subject and their application to practical use. The principles are described in the first sixteen chapters of the book, whilst the last three chapters deal with the practical application of radar. The book also presents a description of military radar, the civil uses of radar and the extensive applications of radar technique in the physical sciences. Diagrams and photographs are included for reference. This book will be of great value to scholars of the history of physics.

Originally published in 1948, this book contains one man's story of working for the Telecommunications Research Establishment from 1934 until 1945. During this period, Rowe worked on many projects relating to air defence, particularly the development of radar. The text is simply and vividly written and illustrated with multiple photographs of relevant people and places mentioned in the narrative. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in WWII and the history of radar.

What This Book Is This book is about radar. It will teach you the essentials of radar, the underlying principles. It is not like an engineering handbook which pro vides detailed design equations without explaining either derivation or rationale. It is not like a graduate school textbook which may be abstruse and esoteric to the point of incomprehensibility. And it is not like an anthology of popular magazine articles which may be gaudy but superfi cial. It is an attempt to distill the very complex, rich technology of radar into its fundamentals, tying them to the laws of nature on one end and to the most modern and complex systems on the other. Who It's For If your work requires you to supervise or meet as coequals with radar systems engineers or designers, this book will allow you to understand them, to question them intelligently and perhaps to provide them with a perspective (a dispassionate yet competent view) that they lack. If you are trained in another discipline but have been made the man ager of a radar project or a system program that has one or more radars as sub-systems, this book will provide you with the tools you need, not only to give your team members confidence, but also to make a substantive technical contribution yourself."

Meteorology is by nature a multidisciplinary and transnational subject and COST cooperation has proved to be a flexible and suitable framework at European level for meteorological activities such as the standardisation of observation techniques and harmonised transmission of meteorological data. Although meteorology is not covered by a specific Community programme as such, various Community actions dealing with meteorology are now included in the EEC research programme on climatology (the "EPOCH" programme - 1989-92) of mechanisms of extreme and sudden concerning particularly the study meteorological events, in order to predict catastrophies and consequently to reduce human and material losses. In the context of COST cooperation, which is supported by the Commission of the European Communities, the COST 73 project (1986-1991) associates 16 countries in Western Europe with the aim of setting up a weather radar network providing real-time measurements of rain, snow or hail precipitations. In this project, radar data are transmitted and combined if appropriate with satellite data - in one or more "compositing centres" of the participating countries, in order to improve weather forecasting. Together with the COST 73 Management Committee, the Commission of the European Communities organized a seminar on this matter, in Brussels on 5-8 September 1989, at the half-way stage of the project.