HORUS Radar to Replace Aging U.S. Weather Systems

The HORUS radar, developed at the University of Oklahoma's Advanced Radar Research Center, is the world's first fully digital polarimetric S-band phased array radar featuring 64 antennas. This next-generation system delivers weather updates every 15 to 20 seconds, far surpassing the five to eight minutes required by current National Weather Service radars. Its rapid, adaptive scanning enhances the detection and tracking of storms, tornadoes, and flash flooding, improving the accuracy and timeliness of public warnings. Drones are used to calibrate the radar and collect vital atmospheric data, further advancing storm prediction capabilities. Plans are underway to replace aging U.S. weather radar infrastructure with technologies like HORUS in the next five years due to their superior performance and maintainability. The adoption of HORUS is expected to significantly improve meteorological science and public safety.