The HEMPAS-CCIAS radar is a
passive radar
Passive radar systems (also referred to as passive coherent location, passive surveillance systems, and passive covert radar) encompass a class of radar systems that detect and track objects by processing reflections from non-cooperative sources of ...
developed by five Greek scientists.
History
In 2006 after studying and planning for six years, the team applied to the
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...
to participate in a research project for the construction and development of the CCIAS system. Simply put this was a network of "passive" radars.
Later in 2006 the Ministry of Defense, Chief of General Staff and Chief of Army Staff took part in the project. The
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
team made the first presentation of the system to 60 Staff Officers. Immediately after the presentation without any doubt and hesitation, the political and military leadership excited calls for scientists to move quickly. More presentations followed to all sectors of the military. On February 13, 2009 the Council of Defence Planning met and after voting 7-0 in favor of the operational necessity of the system, recommended the urgent consideration of the issue by the Council of Chiefs. The then Chief of Defence General
Dimitrios Grapsas, who was a great proponent of the development of the Greek , failed to put this issue on the agenda until his retirement in August 2009. The scientific team from the University of Thessaloniki, was not put off by the retirement of General Grapsas and continued its research. The last technical problems were resolved and everything looked ready for the building of the prototype system to commence.Almost a year later, the new Chief of General Staff General
Ioannis Yiagkos, informed the scientists that the matter will be reconsidered.
On April 4, 2010, the Council of Chiefs met with the new Defence Minister E. Venizelos and with a 4-0 vote adopted the proposed system as extremely necessary and urgent. On May 29, 2010, the then vice Defence Minister
Panagiotis Beglitis
Panagiotis Beglitis (Greek: Παναγιώτης Μπεγλίτης) (born 25 February 1957, Velo) is a Greek politician, who from 2004-07 was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, part of the Party of ...
received the complete feasibility study.
The folder containing the top secret program contained 1050 pages. The time elapsed was considerable. However, the team of five scientists had received no answer. In June 2010 they sent letters to the Prime Minister and to the leader of the Opposition, to be aware of the situation.
Meanwhile, three foreign countries are interested to finance the program, but the scientists do not want to sell it. The status of the project is unknown.
Abilities
*It can see without emitting and therefore remaining undetected, at a range of 400 km.
*It can identify
helicopters
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
and
aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engine ...
even under complete electronic mute, i.e. without their radars emitting anything.
*It can identify aircraft of
stealth technology and real-time takeoffs of fighter aircraft from enemy bases.
*It can passively monitor islets.
See also
*
List of radars
References
{{Reflist
*https://archive.today/20140531152311/http://olympia.gr/2012/09/05/cciasradar
Passive radars