3D Radar Imaging

This effort proposes the use of three-dimensional radar imaging to potentially enhance Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) performance. The concept extends conventional two-dimensional range-Doppler imaging by exploiting the relative motion of a radar target in an additional plane with respect to the radar line of sight, allowing resolution of scattering features in two cross-range planes. Three-dimensional radar images have the potential of providing added target features that may not be obtained from conventional two-dimensional images, as additional information regarding the size, shape and configuration of the object may be obtained from the three-dimensional scattering locations. The system envisioned would consist of a three-dimensional imaging algorithm in conjunction with a wideband pulse-Doppler radar. The system will observe a target moving in a trajectory that would permit sufficiently large changes in the momentum aspect angle during radar observations. This, coupled with a spinning and precessing or possibly tumbling target, would provide a set of look angles in two cross-range planes. The algorithm would rely on other algorithms in a BMDS decision architecture to obtain high-precision state vector and motion solutions of the target. Knowledge of target motion and the change in momentum aspect angle Kappa will permit the algorithm to determine the look angles and the sampling rate necessary to perform three-dimensional imaging. This imaging system has the potential to provide additional target information during several stages of BMDS engagements.