Advanced high-frequency (HF) radar could help navies and governments monitor the rapidly changing Arctic as climate change reduces sea ice and opens new shipping routes, according to Adelaide University physicist Adjunct Professor Stuart Anderson.
Anderson, from the university’s School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, has examined how HF radar might support future US Navy operations in the Arctic by providing wide-area surveillance, ocean monitoring and communications support.
The Arctic is seeing increased access to waterways such as the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage as temperatures rise and sea ice declines. Anderson said the changes are expected to increase commercial shipping, resource extraction and fishing activity, while also intensifying strategic competition and creating new security and operational challenges.
Anderson recently presented a paper to the 2026 IEEE Radar Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, outlining how HF radar—already used for ocean surveillance in Australia and elsewhere—could be adapted to Arctic conditions.
“Climate change is reshaping the Arctic environment and creating new opportunities as well as new risks,” said Professor Anderson.
“As more vessels, infrastructure and nations become active in the region, there is a growing need for reliable systems that can help maintain awareness of what is happening across these enormous areas.”
HF radar uses high-frequency radio waves reflected off the Earth’s upper atmosphere to detect aircraft and ships beyond direct line of sight. Anderson said the approach can observe large areas continuously and provide information in near real time.
He said potential applications include detecting and tracking ships, mapping ocean surface currents, and monitoring sea conditions. Anderson also pointed to emerging research suggesting HF radar may be able to distinguish sea-ice types and estimate characteristics such as thickness and the size of individual ice pieces, known as floes.
“Understanding the location, movement and nature of sea ice is critical for safe and effective operations in the Arctic,” said Professor Anderson.
“HF radar has the potential to provide information that is difficult to obtain using existing systems, particularly over very large areas.”
Anderson also said the technology could support communications in the region, where satellite coverage and environmental conditions can be challenging. He said HF radar systems may offer a more reliable tool for operators given the unpredictability of radio waves in the Arctic.
However, he said HF radar should be viewed as part of a wider sensor and monitoring network rather than a stand-alone solution.
“No single technology can do everything,” he said. “The greatest value comes when information from multiple systems is combined. HF radar can add unique insights that strengthen the overall picture and support better operational decisions.”
Anderson was part of the original team that designed and developed the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar system in 1974, which he said enabled the Australian Defence Force to monitor air and sea movements across several million square kilometres. Adelaide University said the same technology is now being deployed in Canada following a defence export deal signed in June 2026.
