Landmarks: history of radar in the world and in France: the birth of radar

摘要

The history of radar is intricately tied up in that of the electronics industry. This retrospective covers the birth of radar, spawned by the electronics industry, then tracks its rise to maturity, as a major driving force behind the electronics industry. Part one covers the main phases in development of the radar concept, through to 1945. During these early days, "electromagnetic detection" was tightly constrained by available technological capabilities, which explains the close similarities between independent development paths in many different countries (USA, Britain, France and Germany), with continuous-wave systems followed by VHF pulse radars, then, for those who had developed magnetron techniques, SHF radars. Radar became acutely critical with outbreak of the Second World War, stimulating unprecedented development efforts. Culmination of technical development among the Allies would have the result of unifying classic radar architecture for several decades to come.