Mitigation of the Effects of the Ionosphere on UEWR

A model of ionospheric scintillation affecting the performance of the UEWR Thule radar is needed to determine the impact of ionospheic scintillation on the Thule radar"s ability to perform its mission as an element of the fielded missile defense system. The scintillation mitigation effort is recognized by the MDA Sensors Directorate as a Critical Engagement Condition (SN-CEC-13). Quantitative estimates of the frequency and severity of ionospheric disturbances and their specific effect on Thule radar functions are necessary to assess their impact on the overall missile defense system performance. The strongest scintillation effects observed by Thule are correlated with strong solar storms that are currently being observed by several satellite missions, including GOES, POES, and STEREO. In this effort the latest heliospheric and geomagnetic observations will be correlated with Radar scintillation observations to provide optimum prediction capability and high fidelity assessment of scintillation effects on the Thule UEWR radar as we approach the maximum in the solar storm activity.