Terahertz imaging. (File photo)

China has completed research and development of a new radar system, which can penetrate walls and provide scanning imagery of objects inside houses.

According to a report on the website of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense on June 15, China Electronic Technology Corporation (CETC) has completed the prototype R&D of China’s first all-solid-state Terahertz imaging radar system, with all the major indexes meeting the expected effects aimed for. The achievement means that CETC’s Terahertz imaging radar technology is advanced at a world-wide level.

Terahertz technology has been a research hotspot in recent years. Terahertz signals carry high frequencies, have short wave lengths, high temporal-frequency spectrum signal to noise ratio and low transmission loss in dense smoke-filled or dusty environments. It can go through walls and scan objects inside of houses, which is an ideal technology for the environment of battlefields.

In urban combat and anti-terrorist combat in the future, the Terahertz imaging radar system can provide three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging of objects behind walls; detect hidden weapons and militants under disguise and show tanks, artillery and other equipment even hidden by smoke. 

With the joint efforts of several research institutes under CETC, the R&D of this new radar system only took over two years to achieve major research progress. Now, they have completed the broadband Terahertz one-dimensional range profile and ISAR imaging experiment and acquired the first ISAR image with resolution, image side lobes, electrical levels and other indexes meeting the expected effect.