The United Kingdom modernizes air defense radars to make them compatible with wind turbines

These new radars are expected to be deployed by 2029, to allow for the development of more offshore wind farms off the British coast.

The British government announced that the modernization of air defense radar systems will enable the development of up to 10 GW of offshore wind farm projects. “Following close collaboration with the industry, the government has acquired specially designed air defense radars, which will help mitigate the disturbances caused by offshore wind farms,” a government statement said.

Wind turbines degrade the performance of radars when they are within their range of visibility. They create masking effects, can generate false echoes, and cause parasitic Doppler echoes. These phenomena are well-documented.

These new radars, whose supplier has not been disclosed, will be deployed starting in 2029. They will allow the Royal Air Force to detect and identify intrusions and threats in British airspace. According to an industry leader in the UK wind sector, “this project is the culmination of a truly collaborative process that has been ongoing for several years, where government and industry have worked together to propose a solution allowing for harmonious coexistence between air defense and offshore wind.” According to The Telegraph, the government is investing £95 million in this project, approximately 110 million euros.

When the Trump administration suspended several wind farms under construction in the United States in December 2025, it specifically argued that the movement of wind turbine blades and the presence of metals generate radar interference, “which could mask legitimate mobile targets and create false targets near wind farm projects.” A well-known and long-identified problem that had been taken into account when choosing the location for the farms.

© An article from the editorial team of Mer et Marine. Reproduction prohibited without consent from the author(s).