IEEE band designations with typical roles, and the round-trip time for a pulse at four ranges
| Band | Frequency | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| HF | 3–30 MHz | Over-the-horizon radar, bouncing signals off the ionosphere |
| VHF | 30–300 MHz | Long-range early warning; long wavelengths make some stealth shaping less effective |
| UHF | 300 MHz–1 GHz | Long-range surveillance and ballistic missile warning |
| L | 1–2 GHz | En-route air traffic control, airborne early warning |
| S | 2–4 GHz | Terminal air traffic control, weather, naval air search |
| C | 4–8 GHz | Weather radar, some fire control and satellite links |
| X | 8–12 GHz | Fighter fire-control radar, marine radar, airborne weather radar |
| Ku | 12–18 GHz | High-resolution mapping and satellite communications |
| K | 18–27 GHz | Largely avoided: water vapour absorbs strongly near 22 GHz |
| Ka | 27–40 GHz | Short-range, very high resolution; missile seekers and automotive radar |
| Target range | Distance travelled | Time for the echo to return |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 km | 3 km | 10 microseconds |
| 15 km | 30 km | 100 microseconds |
| 150 km | 300 km | 1 millisecond |
| 300 km | 600 km | 2 milliseconds |
Echo times calculated from the speed of light, 299,792,458 m/s, as range = (c × time) / 2. Band designations follow the IEEE standard; other schemes, including the NATO letter system, divide the spectrum differently.