Frequency Management System (FMS) for Over-the-Horizon Radar (OTHR) Using a Near-Real-Time Ionospheric Model

Sky-wave over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) propagates radio waves off the ionosphere to provide long-range surveillance around the Earth’s curvature. Frequency selection for high-latitude and polar OTHRs is challenging unless there is an environmental monitor that addresses the significant ionospheric variability in high-latitude regions, a spectrum monitor that finds unoccupied frequencies in the high-frequency (HF) radio waveband, and a frequency management system (FMS) that selects an optimal frequency from the merged results of the environmental monitor and spectrum monitor. This article describes the first FMS for high-latitude OTHR that merges results from the environmental monitor and spectrum monitor in real-time. The environmental monitor uses the assimilative Canadian high-arctic ionospheric model (A-CHAIM), which assimilates near-real-time data and is, to date, the most advanced ionospheric model for high-latitude regions. Despite remaining limitations, demonstrations of this real-time FMS between a transmitter and four targets during the day and night and during fall and summer show that it could be one of the tools for selecting frequencies for operational scenarios.