OVERVIEW: Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) systems provide wide-area ground and surface surveillance, offering real-time imaging for reconnaissance, mapping, and targeting support. SLAR systems have been in use from the 1960s onward.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: SLAR is a radar imaging system mounted on aircraft or UAVs, designed to scan terrain or ocean surfaces perpendicular to the flight path. It operates by transmitting radar pulses sideways from the platform, then receiving echoes to form two-dimensional radar maps of the scanned area. SLAR is capable of detecting fixed and moving objects, infrastructure, and terrain features under most weather conditions and day/night cycles. Later systems integrated digital processing for improved resolution and change detection.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Category: Surveillance Radar / Ground Mapping Radar
Primary Use: Wide-area surface surveillance and reconnaissance
Function: Lateral radar imaging using side-mounted antennas
Platform: Aircraft, UAVs, and some satellite platforms

See Specific information under [Sensors/EW] and [Properties] sections.

SOURCE:
Open sources on military surveillance radar systems and airborne ISR platforms