Many scientists contributed to the development of radar before the Second World War. The British were the first to fully exploit radar as a defense against aircraft attack. Watson-Watt and his assistant Arnold Wilkins realized they could use the technology they were developing to detect approaching enemy aircraft. Once they'd proved the basic equipment could work, they constructed an elaborate network of ground-based radar detectors around the south and east of the British coastline. Britain's radar defenses, called the "Chain Home", gave an advantage over the German air force. It played an important part in the allied victory. A similar system was developed at the same time in the United States. The post-war years have seen the use of radar in fields as diverse as air traffic control, weather monitoring, astronomy ty and road speed control.