Tactical Line of Sight & Radio Horizon Analysis

In the field, “Line of Sight” (LoS) is more than just what you can see with your eyes. For Electronic Warfare (EW) and radio communications, the Radio Horizon is typically 15% further than the visual horizon because the atmosphere slightly bends (refracts) radio waves back toward Earth.

Why LoS Matters for Tactical Operations:

• Drone Links: If your drone drops below the radio horizon relative to your antenna, you will lose the C2 (Command and Control) link.
• Jamming Effectiveness: A drone jammer cannot disrupt a target it cannot “see” due to the Earth’s curvature.
• Counter-Battery Radar: Radar waves travel in straight lines; targets behind the horizon “mask” are invisible to detection.

Understanding the Calculation:

This tool uses the standard propagation constant (k = 4/3) to account for atmospheric refraction. The formula used for distance (d) based on height (h) is:

d ≈ 3.57 × √h