As the launching ship would be under the radar horizon of the target, a data link or similar solution that required a line-of-sight would not work.
12.
This change is not a straight line but a curve as the surface of the Earth is curved and " sinks " below the radar horizon.
13.
This arrangement causes a displacement of the radar horizon which in turn increases the detection altitude up to 6 km at a distance of 150 km.
14.
Detection ranges depend on capturing at least several seconds of a trajectory and can be limited by the radar horizon and the height of the trajectory.
15.
By flying terrain masking low-altitude nap-of-the-earth flight profiles the effective range, and therefore reaction time, of ground based radar was limited to at best the radar horizon.
16.
Due to the effect of the radar horizon, this means that the target may not detect an incoming attack until the missile is only 6, 000 m from impact.
17.
The committee suggested that when this occurred, the bomber would descend to low altitude, thereby greatly limiting the radar horizon, allowing the bomber to fly past the station undetected.
18.
And since the required accuracy was reduced by an order of magnitude, the radars could provide the guidance over a much greater range, potentially out to the radar horizon.
19.
Today, GCI is still important for most nations, although Airborne Early Warning and Control, with or without support from GCI, generally offers much greater range due to the much more distant radar horizon.
20.
Instead of building a new fleet of their own, the Royal Navy would use the Buccaneer to attack these ships with relative impunity by approaching at low altitudes below the ship's radar horizon.
