Deeply Buried Hardened Target Fuze

The purpose of this proposal is to build a diagnostic Micro Power Radar (MPR) to track projectiles and detect voids during hard target penetration. Current smart fuzes use algorithms based on accelerometers output. This is problematic due to the mechanical noise introduced by impact, and the uncertain behavior demonstrated by penetrators under nearly identical test impacts. The addition of non-inertial sensors to the warhead could ameliorate the problems faced by current fuzes. Tracking projectiles through sand utilizing microwave radar primarily depends on two factors, the radar cross section of the projectile and the loss through sand. In Phase I measurements were taken of two projectiles, a one-inch diameter and a half-inch diameter. Nose-on cross sections were too small to anticipate tracking head-on. RCS was measured 1 cm2 for the small target and the large target is approximately 5 cm2 RCS. From the side, both targets had reasonable cross sections and a tracking diagnostic instrument should not be restricted by the RCS of the targets. Based on emitting and detecting very low amplitude and short voltage impulses, MPR has a sensitive window for accurately detecting reflections from boundaries between different materials. This should prove useful in detecting voids in targets.