radarilähed

Radarilähed is a term used in Estonian-language technical texts to describe the area surrounding a radar installation that lies within its detectable range. The word combines radar with lähed, meaning near, and is roughly translated as "radar proximity" or "radar coverage." In practice, radarilähed refers to the practical region where the radar can reliably detect and track objects under normal operating conditions.

Applications include air traffic control, meteorological radar operations, maritime surveillance, and military sensing. In air traffic management, radarilähed defines the coverage map used for assigning separation standards and identifying potential blind spots. In weather radar, it helps operators interpret echoes and distinguish ground clutter from genuine precipitation within the radar's near field.

Technical factors shape radarilähed: transmitter power, antenna beamwidth, scanning strategy, radar cross-section of targets, altitude of objects, terrain and clutter, and atmospheric conditions. The near zone may exhibit higher uncertainty due to ground clutter, multipath reflections, and near-ground interference. Operators must account for blind spots, range limitations, and maintenance margins when evaluating radarilähed.

Origin and usage: the term is common in Estonian professional discourse on radar systems and is sometimes used in translations of international radar literature. It is generally used to refer to the concept of radar coverage or footprint rather than a fixed technical standard, and may be described more precisely with system-specific parameters in official documentation.