24 May 2008

Lockheed Patents 'Spooky Radar'

It's years away from fruition, but it appears that Lockheed has secured on a radar that uses quantum entanglement.

Basically, under some conditions in quantum mechanics, two particles are linked, instantaneously at significant distances from one another.

Makes my head hurt, which I stick to the larger world, where Newtonian mechanics serve just fine.

Anywoo, those of you who are more into this can go to Wired's Danger Room for a more complete set of links, but the money quote from the patent applicstion appears to be this:
The ability to propagate radar signals at frequencies that are independent of the resolution frequency may allow quantum radar system 100 to attain near zero attenuation rates in the atmosphere, and greatly diminished attenuation rates in other media including foliage, building materials, earthen layers, etc. Quantum radar system 100, thus, can be adapted to visualize useful target details through background and/or camouflaging clutter, through plasma shrouds around hypersonic air vehicles, through the layers of concealment hiding underground facilities, IEDs, mines, and other threats--all while operating from an airborne platform or other suitable platform. Quantum radar system 100 may also improve the performance of advanced image processing and pattern recognition systems, as well as defeat most RF signature management systems when the propagation frequency is tuned to the resonant wave length of the target.

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