Strengthening Indonesian Radar Technology: Collaboration to Meet Strategic Needs

On Tuesday to Wednesday, December 10-11, 2024, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the theme “Needs and Development of Radar Technology in Indonesia” was successfully held at the Swiss-Belinn Hotel, Manyar, Surabaya. This event was an initiative of the Radar Technology Research Team of the Antenna and Propagation Laboratory, Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Intelligent Electrical and Informatics Technology (FTEIC), Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in collaboration with the Directorate of Research and Community Service (DRPM) ITS. The activity was attended by various stakeholders, including radar technology users, industry players, and researchers who study radar development, making this discussion a comprehensive and strategic collaboration event.

Radar technology is now an important element in various sectors, both military and civilian, with various functions. In the military sector, radar is used for search systems, air defense, and identification, while in the civilian sector, radar is applied to automotive, navigation, traffic control, and imaging. Each type of radar has different functions, technical parameters, and signal processing methods according to needs.

The development of radar technology in Indonesia has shown positive progress, from static radar to radar with digital scanning capabilities based on phased arrays. The latest innovations lead to the implementation of Software Defined Radar (SDR) which allows parameter settings and processing through software. SDR technology also supports modern waveforms such as OFDM, which are more flexible than previous technologies, such as CW and FMCW. This trend opens up great opportunities to improve local radar capabilities in various strategic sectors.

The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) event lasted for two days with a series of dense and useful activities. On the first day, the event began with remarks from Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro as the head of the research team for the Antenna and Propagation Laboratory radar research team, who provided an introduction to the importance of discussions related to the needs and development of radar technology in Indonesia. The next session was filled by radar developer practitioners, namely Prof. Yuyu Wahyu from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Dr. Yussi as CEO and Founder of PT Radar Telekomunikasi Indonesia, and Mr. Imam Prasojo as Technical Advisor from PT Infoglobal. These three speakers provided a comprehensive view of the development of radar technology in Indonesia, the challenges faced, and the innovative solutions that have been produced.

On the second day, the discussion continued with speakers from radar technology users. They were Captain Laut Randika from the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), Lieutenant Lek Rakai from the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU), and Mr. Bayu Dewangga from AirNav Indonesia who represented radar users in the civilian sector. These speakers provided practical insights related to specific needs, operational constraints, and expectations for future radar development. This collaboration between developers and users enriched the discussion and opened up opportunities for strategic solutions to meet the needs of radar technology in Indonesia.

In the presentation session by radar developer practitioners, Prof. Yuyu explained the various types of radars that are currently developing, such as air defense radar, weather radar, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging radar, and tsunami detection radar. Furthermore, Dr. Yussi presented the defense radar produced by PT RTI while outlining the challenges and limitations of radar technology in Indonesia today. Meanwhile, PT Infoglobal also explained TDSA technology, an integrated system based on air traffic monitoring and capable of displaying radar data in real-time.

In the discussion session, the TNI revealed several challenges faced related to radar operations, such as limited spare parts, lack of skilled technicians, and minimal personnel capable of operating the radar optimally. In addition, the TNI also highlighted the need for modernization of radar technology to support national defense needs. Meanwhile, AirNav Indonesia conveyed the importance of strengthening a more reliable real-time monitoring system, the availability of adequate spare parts support, and increasing interoperability in the flight navigation surveillance system to ensure efficiency and safety in flight operations.