On 4 November, the PHARA (Phased Array Radar) project hosted an online meeting with its user committee to share progress updates and gather input on desired data outputs.

Project coordinator Olexander Yarovyi acknowledged delays due to component manufacturing issues and supplier constraints. Despite setbacks, key milestones have been achieved: the design review is complete, all postdoctoral positions are filled, and the project organized a Phased Array PhD School in September 2025 with 26 participants. PHARA has also secured its first external PhD project.

Bruno Sochacki from Robin Radar Systems updated on technical development. The system will feature 360° azimuth rotation and 0° to 90° elevation tilt, with production scheduled for 2026. 

User committee members from SkyECHO, KNMI, TU Delft CEG, and Achmea outlined their needs. While scientists can work with offline data for research, operational weather forecasting needs real-time data delivery. Research interests include spatial precipitation variability, 3D cloud imaging, hail precursors, and atmospheric conditions in the lowest kilometre. 

The team is exploring synergies with automotive industry research and plans to develop precipitation and cloud scanning modes, pending future funding opportunities. The project aims to hold a physical meeting with the user committee in 2026, when the first data from subsystems become available.