A drone carrying the main radar would have to lift a substantial payload and keep pace with its ship. The proposed arrangement is criticised because the ship could move faster than the radar-carrying drone. Propellers, impellers or other machinery close to the radar would also create a problem with unwanted returns. Raising the antenna therefore introduces flight-performance and sensor-integration demands as well as a potential gain in radar height.
Notable Point · 2:44:50-2:45:43
The engineering limits of a tethered radar drone
Putting a ship's main radar on a tethered drone introduces payload, speed and interference problems.