RADAR CROSS SECTION VALIDATION

JUST AS WITH OTHER ON-BOARD COUNTER MEASURES SYSTEMS, THE RCS OF LO AIRCRAFT REQUIRES PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION PRIOR TO MISSION DEPLOYMENT. THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL OUTLINES A PROGRAM OF STUDY THAT WILL DEFINE THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR AN RCS VALIDATION RADAR SUITE AND ITS HARDWARE REALIZATION. THIS PROPOSAL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES AN OPERATIONAL APPLICATION IN A NAVAL BATTLE GROUP, WHERE AIRCRAFT EMPLOYING LO TECHNIQUES AS A COUNTER MEASURE MUST RECEIVE FAST PRE-MISSION AND POST-REPAIR RCS PERFORMANCE CHECKS AS WELL AS FAULT DIAGNOSIS. THIS PROGRAM FEATURES CONSIDERATION OF 4 SCENARIOS AND WILL EMPLOY PROVEN TEST EQUIPMENT SUCH AS THE HP 8510 AND RADAR INSTRUMENTATION RECEIVERS WERE APPLICABLE. IN ADDITION STATE-OF-THE-ART SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES WILL BE EMPLOYED.