State of the art radar technology normally only used by the military is being installed in Bermuda this week to help Harbour Radio track shipping movements.

A new 18-foot radar has been placed on top of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse in Southampton which Harbour Radio says will greatly improve its ability to keep tabs on smaller ships.

The $200,000 radar replaces one which has been on top of the lighthouse for 14 years and is one of three operated by Harbour Radio beaming information back to headquarters at Fort St. George.

Harbour Radio officer in charge Scott Simmons said the new Danish-made radar was of military standard, but had been manufactured at a fraction of the cost, allowing it to be used for commercial purposes.

The radar which was on Gibbs Hill could detect a cruise ship 40 miles out at sea, but was less effective with smaller vessels.

Mr. Simmons told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "It is far more flexible with smaller targets closer in.

"Depending on rain, the state of the seas, and the size of the vessel, this new system is specifically designed for small target detection and we fully expect to get a much better, crisper, clearer picture of our targets offshore than we did before.

"The old radar was 14 years old and probably using 30-year-old technology that was nearly obsolete.

"This still new system offers detection capability that was previously only found in military installations but at an off the shelve price.

"They have designed this radar for coastal surveillance purposes in places such as Bermuda."

The new radar was installed over the weekend using a huge crane and steel scaffolding and it is expected to become operational today, said Mr. Simmons.