Systems and methods for load aware radar altimeters are provided. In one embodiment, a method for a load aware radar altimeter comprises: transmitting from a radar altimeter on an aircraft at least one RF radar pulse having a frequency of f0; receiving a first return RF signal from a signal modifying target device attached to a load suspended below the aircraft, wherein the first return signal is a modified version of the at least one RF radar pulse; calculating a range from the aircraft to the signal modifying target device as a function of a propagation delay between transmitting the at least one RF radar pulse and receiving the first return RF signal; and desensitizing the radar altimeter to return RF signals having a frequency of f0 within a load window calculated as a function of the range from the aircraft to the signal modifying target device.