The use of a radar

The whole system of anti-aircraft defense depends on knowing that the enemy planes are coming. This is done mostly by radar. A radar set sends out radio waves. The radio waves hit anything they come into contact with and are bounced back to the radar set. These radio waves show, on the radar screen, the outline of the object they bounced off. A radar screen is much like a television screen, except that it does not show as clear a picture. The picture on a radar screen is usually the outline of an object like an airplane in the sky.

It is clear enough to identify what is shown on the screen. When enemy aircraft are identified on the radar screen, the alarm is sounded. Pilots jump into their fighter planes and take off to battle the enemy aircraft. The anti-aircraft gunners rush to their posts and prepare the guns for firing. The anti-aircraft guns have radar sets of their own. These radar sets track the enemy aircraft and show the direction from which they are coming and the height at which they are flying. The guns start to fire when the enemy aircraft get within range. Modern anti-aircraft guns are fired automatically and do not even have to be aimed by the soldiers. The radar set does everything.