Definition
Radar data processing is the automated handling of raw radar returns by air traffic control computer systems, which converts those returns into usable information such as aircraft position, altitude, identification, and ground speed for display on a controller's screen.
Plain English
It is the computer work that turns raw radar signals into the clean labeled targets controllers actually see on their screens.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation acronym lists and in discussions of air traffic control surveillance systems.
Derivation
Radar comes from RAdio Detection And Ranging. 'Data processing' simply means the computer's work of taking raw input and turning it into something useful. Together: the computer turns raw radar signals into useful information.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate RDP allows controllers to maintain safe separation and give pilots reliable traffic advisories, directly affecting routing decisions and collision avoidance.
Intuition Check
RDP is not the radar antenna or the radar signal itself. It is the computer handling of the radar information after the system receives it.
Example Sentence 1
An RDP outage at the center forced controllers to apply non-radar separation, slowing arrivals into the area.
Example Sentence 2
The ADS-B display in the cockpit receives processed radar data that originated from the facility's RDP system.