How does IIP detect North Atlantic icebergs?
ICEBERG DETECTION International Ice Patrol (IIP) monitors iceberg danger in the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and broadcasts the southeastern, southern, and southwestern limits of all known ice (LAKI). Because of frequent fog and poor visibility over the Grand Banks, IIP relies heavily on radar onboard the USCG HC-130H aircraft for iceberg reconnaissance. Since 1983, IIP’s primary detection radar has been the AN/APS-135 Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR). In 1993, IIP added the AN/APS-137 Forward-Looking Airborne Radar (FLAR) as an additional sensor. Our operational experience and two tests (1991 and 1993) established that the strength of the FLAR is its ability to distinguish between icebergs and ships. The field tests, however, showed that in some cases FLAR failed to detect small and medium icebergs (50m and 100m) at ranges from which SLAR had routinely detected targets. Therefore, to avoid the smaller geographic coverage of a FLAR-only-equipped aircraft, Ice Patrol us
