LADETEC, Milestones

Let's be realistic — let's do the impossible! Ernesto Che Guevara

Since 1983, Cuban weather radars have undergone a constant and growing process of technological innovation. Here are the main milestones driven by the Laboratorio de Desarrollo Técnico (LADETEC, Technical Development Laboratory).

1983.   A novel DIGITAL signal processor for radar was brought online. The first of its kind in Cuba (including weather and military radars), and also novel for the meteorological system in the Soviet Union. It was called the Meteorological Objects Processing Block.

1988.   A PC-based system for processing weather radar data, with digital data transmission, came into operation. It was the first in the world to use a PC (IBM-XT compatible) for this purpose. Designed and built by Cuban personnel. It was called SISTEMA HERMES (HERMES SYSTEM).

1990.   The Laboratorio de Desarrollo Técnico (LADETEC) was created by Dra. Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín, at the time president of the ACC (Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, Cuban Academy of Sciences), headquartered in Camagüey, to focus on technological innovation with national reach.

1992.   An automatic controller for the full operation of a weather radar came into operation. It was installed at the Camagüey radar and was the first of its kind in Cuba to perform every action needed to operate a weather radar. It was called OPERADOR AUTOMÁTICO (AUTOMATIC OPERATOR).

1992.   A PC-based system for computerized reception of radio facsimile signals went into operation. It was built for the Coastal Ecosystems Center of Cayo Coco. It was the first of its kind in Cuba. It was called MICROFAX.

1993.   A system went into operation to acquire signals, process volumetric data, and control all operations of a weather radar, running automatic control simultaneously with manual control, on the MRL-5 radar in Camagüey. It was the first device of its kind in Cuba that allowed fully automatic operation. It was called ARGOS.

1993. The LADETEC team, together with staff from the Active Influence Department of the Camagüey Meteorological Center, won the Academy of Sciences Award and the State Council Special Award for the work titled Automated Radar Complex for Rain Enhancement (CRAILL).

1997.   For the first time in Cuba, a weather radar (a new MRL-5) was assembled without the manufacturer's involvement. It was installed at Loma de la Mula, in Camagüey. This was the first MRL-5 radar in the world (307 units were built, 67 of them exported to other countries) to have its conventional controls removed, leaving only computerized automatic control.

1998. For the first time, digital signals from a weather radar (the MRL-5M in Camagüey) were sent to the U.S. Hurricane Center. It happened as Hurricane Georges passed.

1998.   The Technical Development Laboratory (LADETEC) received the Outstanding Award at the 12th National Science and Technology Forum for the paper titled MRL-5M: Automatic Weather Radar.

2000.  The first MRL-5M radar in Cuba went into operation at Pico San Juan (Cienfuegos), with automatic operation remotely controllable from any point on the Instituto de Meteorología's corporate network. Industrial prototype for the modernization of the MRL-5 radars.

2001. For the first time in Cuba, the digital signals from 3 automated weather radars (Camagüey, Pico San Juan, and Casablanca) went up on the Internet. It happened as Hurricane Michelle passed.

2002.  The first RC-32 BM radar in Cuba went into operation at Punta del Este (Isla de la Juventud), with automatic operation remotely controllable from any point on the Instituto de Meteorología's corporate network.

2003.   The Centro Nacional de Radares (National Radar Center) was created, headquartered in Camagüey.

2005.   Cuba's first Doppler radar (METEOR 1500S) was installed in record time (2 months) on the hill El Paraíso (Holguín). The installation was carried out by engineers from the Centro de Radares, with no involvement from the manufacturer — the second time in Cuba a radar had been installed using our own resources. This radar was loaned by Venezuela for cloud-seeding operations in eastern Cuba.

2006.   The generalized modernization, computerization and automation of the Instituto de Meteorología (Cuba's national weather institute)'s seven radars was completed. This enabled automatic, remote command of all of them from any point in the network, and also enabled instant transmission of the processed information to a corporate website — both for each radar individually and as the Mosaic of all of them at once.

2006.   The engineering team of the Centro de Radares (LADETEC) was awarded the Orden Finlay (one of Cuba's top state honors).

2006.   The engineering team of the Centro de Radares (LADETEC) won the Distinción Relevante (Outstanding Distinction) award for their paper at the XV National Science and Technology Forum.

2007. The engineering team of the Centro de Radares (LADETEC) won the National Award for Technological Innovation and the CITMA (Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment) award for the work with the greatest environmental contribution.

2007.   Commercial export of the Centro de Radares' specialists' services to Venezuela began.

2008.   The passage of the devastating hurricanes Gustav and Ike was detected and tracked with INSMET's 8 operational weather radars, with digital signal transmission to all of Cuba and the rest of the world via the Internet.

2010.   The free ORPG software, used in the 159 WSR-88D radars of the U.S. National Weather Service, was assimilated in Cuba. This was the first time that a service radar outside the U.S. achieved the assimilation of this software.

2011.   Commercial export of the Radar Center's specialists' services to Colombia began.

2012.   The prototype of the Cuban Doppler radar, the RD-200SX, was put into operation in Camagüey — just in time to catch Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy with it, fulfilling the task set by the Commander in Chief that launched the Battle of Ideas.

2014.   Commercial export of the Radar Center's specialists' services to Nicaragua began.

2015.   The TITAN software, developed by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), was assimilated for the first time in Cuba, being installed in Camagüey and Casablanca, and later on Isla de la Juventud.

2015.   LADETEC engineers took part in the installation of a radar in Nicaragua, providing advisory support for a year.

2016.   The installation and commissioning service for TITAN software was exported to Nicaragua and Honduras.

2017.  The METEOR 1500S radar in Holguín was brought online with the Cuban radar control system, modifying the VESTA|RDA-M software (M for Modified) to interface with this radar's original PROFIBUS control modules.

2018.  The MRL-5M radar (Soviet-built weather radar) at Casa Blanca was modernized, partially converting it into the prototype of the RD-100S radar, incorporating all the new developments aimed at the Cuban Doppler and Polarimetric radar.

2020.  The RD-100S radar was completed as the first series-produced unit of the Cuban Weather Radar (Doppler), in operation since November 11, 2020 at Loma de Casa Blanca, on the grounds of the Instituto de Meteorologia (Cuban Institute of Meteorology).

2022. The Doppler modernization of the Holguín radar was completed with the signal processor (VESTA|Cíclope) and the radar controller (VESTA|RCP) of the Cuban Weather Radar.

LADETEC, the people: