Focused Miniature Ordnance Technologies

This proposal objective is to design a software based radar scene generator system capable of producing synthetic radar stimulus data. This system is termed the Synthetic Radar Scene Generator (SRSG) system. The SRSG will generate synthetic aperture radar target and clutter data for use by real time radar environment simulator (RES) systems. The synthetic scenes when executed on RES systems, will provide non-destructive functional testing of fuzing components. The SRSG generated data represents suitable terrain environments with user defined characteristics containing specific targets of interest while incorporating ballistic munitions trajectories for the simulated sensor platform motion.  The Air Force needs an SRSG to create various scenes to evaluate next generation fuzing sensors against a diversity of targets. No generation system for this data in these formats exists. This SRSG will allow an operator to compose various scenes utilizing information from terrain data and target signature files. Various combinations of point targets or complex targets within typical backgrounds are required for synthetic scene environments. Military and civilian vehicles of all types are constantly being added to the list of potential targets that may be required to be included in a sensor evaluation. BENEFITS: The successful results of the current SBIR Phase I, and future Phase II, and Phase III efforts will  have immediate applications with multiple simulation programs and test facilities within the US Military.  The ability to generate large quantities of coherent radar signals on a PRI basis will allow radar, seeker, and full Integrated System Test Facilities (ISTFs) to verify and validate signal processing capabilities in the laboratory, years before they are fielded in weapons systems.  Based on the amount of simultaneous signals, different applications of this technology will be achieved so as to reduce or eliminate expensive flight testing.  The savings to the U.S.  Government will be rapidly realized by the tremendously reduced need for costly flight tests. This research will be applicable across the spectrum of land, sea, and air applications. This work is also applicable and beneficial to the testing and validation of advanced weather radar.