^ AN INEXPENSIVE SIDE LOOKING RADAR FOR OCEAN SURVEILLANCE 
- RESULTS FROM FIELD TESTING 
Author: Birger Ekengren 
L M ERICSSON, MI Division 
Fack 
$-431 20 MÓLNDAL / SWEDEN 
l. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE SWEDISH REMOTE SENSING PROGRAMME 
The Swedish Board for Space Activities is responsible for 
promoting remote sensing in Sweden. The Board, in its po- 
licy has given priority to the development of operational 
remote sensing systems for 
- oil spill surveillance 
= sea ice mapping 
= vegetation mapping 
- analysis of effluents from industrial smoke-stacks 
Various techniques have been investigated for the accomplish- 
ment of these tasks. The sidelooking airborne radar has been 
identified as a valuable part of any system aimed at the 
first two applications. 
2, ERICSSON SLAR 
By contract from the Swedish Space Corporation L M Ericsson 
has developed an inexpensive SLAR that is now installed in 
an aircraft belonging to the Swedish Coast Guard. (see figure 
1). The main purpose behind this prototype equipment is to 
test ‘its ability to detect\oil slicks on the ocean surface. 
Other applications are sea ice mapping and monitoring coastal 
econamic and fishery zones. 
The SLAR has been successfully flight tested during the first 
six months of 1978. The equipment will remain installed in 
the Coast Guard aircraft to gather further operational ex- 
perience. It is, however, already clear that only minor modi- 
fications will have to be made before the system goes into 
serial production in 1979.