By Vice and Virtue @Adobe Stock
Tom Whipple of The Times reports that concerns over offshore wind farms obstructing military radar are rising. New technologies are being explored to address this, such as stealth materials for turbine blades and radar-absorbing coatings. The UK Ministry of Defence is also investigating using machine learning and passive sensors to enhance air defense. As wind farms expand, efforts are underway to balance national security with renewable energy goals. Whipple writes:
Wind turbine blades made with stealth materials and masts that spot incoming missiles are among the technologies being considered to mitigate growing concern that offshore wind farms could hide enemy attacks from radar.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also looking into the potential of using advanced machine learning to remove radar reflections from wind farms, as national security and energy security increasingly come into conflict.
The government has pledged to quadruple offshore wind power by 2030 as part of its goal to decarbonise the grid. […]
Philip Clark, an analyst at the Cowes radar research centre of BAE Systems, said: “The RAF stops wind farm developments in places like the North Sea, because they’ll say, ‘If somebody launches an attack against us that comes from behind the wind farm, we won’t be able to see it’.” […]
A draft of the Nato blueprint, called the Capability Target 2025, is said to raise the need for the UK to invest in air defence systems, known as surfaced-based air defence, to protect critical national infrastructure, such as nuclear power stations or military bases, The Sunday Times reported.
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