SONAR vs RADAR: A Comprehensive Comparison

This page delves into the comparison between SONAR and RADAR, highlighting the differences between these two essential detection and ranging systems.

Introduction

Both SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging) and RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) are used to detect objects, but in different environments. Sonar excels underwater, while Radar operates above land or sea. Although their principles are similar, they rely on different types of waves.

SONAR: Exploring the Depths with Sound

SONAR uses sound waves to navigate and detect objects underwater.

Active SONAR vs Passive SONAR

Features of SONAR

• Full Form: Stands for SOund Navigation And Ranging.
• Frequency Range: Operates in the frequency range of 20 KHz to 10 MHz.
• Wave Speed: Transmits sound waves at approximately 343 meters per second in water.
• Types: Active and Passive Sonar are the main types (see Figure 1).
• Range: Generally has a shorter range compared to RADAR. This limitation is due to how sound waves are impacted by temperature, salinity, and depth variations in the sea.
• Countermeasures: Less susceptible to countermeasures but can be affected by the attenuation of sound waves due to marine life and other factors.

Types of SONAR

• Active Sonar
• Passive Sonar
• Handheld Sonar
• Intercept Sonar

RADAR: Scanning the Skies with Radio Waves

RADAR utilizes radio waves to detect and range objects, primarily in the air and on land.

Radar Tutorial

Features of RADAR

• Full Form: Stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging.
• Frequency Range: Employs electromagnetic waves (radio waves) in the frequency range from 3 MHz to 300 GHz.
• Wave Speed: Transmits radio waves at approximately 300 x 10⁶ meters per second in the air.
• Range: Capable of achieving a greater range than SONAR.
• Countermeasures: Can be jammed and affected by electronic countermeasures (e.g., jamming EM waves), but is not affected by birds.

radar types

Types of RADAR

Based on their principle of operation, RADAR systems can be categorized as follows:

• Primary Radar, Secondary Radar
• CW Radar, Pulse Radar
• Monostatic Radar, Bistatic Radar
• Radar types based on applications: Weather radar, search radar, automotive radar, ground penetrating radar, etc.

Sonar vs Radar: A Tabular Comparison

Let’s compare SONAR and RADAR based on key parameters like speed, frequencies, wavelength, range, and applications. For sonar, we will consider ocean-based sonar for comparison.