NATHAN ANDERSON

Radar Engineer at Silentium Defence

Radars. You’ve heard about them. You’ve maybe even seen them in a TV show or movie. But do you really understand what they do? Or thought about the people who develop and run them? Radars are detection systems that use radio waves to determine the range, angle or velocity of objects. They can be used to detect many things such as drones, satellites, planes, ships, cars and even the weather. They are critical for infrastructure protection and securing vital services, especially today as we see more and more ‘traffic’ launched into space and our urban environments. You might not realise it, but radars are important to everyday life and need constant development and maintenance to keep pace with change and ensure they function properly. That’s where I come in, as a Radar Engineer.

As a Radar Engineer, I make passive radars for the Australian Defence Force and civilian businesses. Maths is crucial to engineering radars and I use mathematical algorithms to ensure they function properly and accurately.

I created my own radar during my PhD at the University of Adelaide and I undertook a short-term internship at Silentium Defence through the APR Intern Program. It was an invaluable experience to see the difference between my system and theirs and learn from a world class team. Since the project’s completion, Silentium Defence offered me a full-time position in a newly created role. Now I get to see the technology I’ve developed deployed in the real-world and used to help protect what matters.