MODEL FOR CHAFF RADAR RETURNS FOR MISSILE TARGET DETECTING DEVICES

CURRENT AND FORECAST AIR FORCE MISSILE TEST PROGRAMS INVOLVE ATTACKS BY AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES ON DRONE AIRCRAFT THAT ARE DISPENSING SELFDEFENSE RADAR CHAFF AS AN ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURE (ECM) TECHNIQUE. THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF CHAFF ON MISSILE-BORNE RADAR SEEKERS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED AND ARE GENERALLY WELL UNDERSTOOD; HOWEVER, ITS SPECIFIC IMPACT ON MISSILE TARGET DETECTION DEVICES (TTDS) EMPLOYED DURING ENDGAME HAS NOT BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED. CONSEQUENTLY, A CRITICAL NEED EXISTS TO QUANTIFY THE EFFECTS OF SELF-DEFENSE RADAR CHAFF ON THE TDD FUNCTION OF THE MISSILE WARHEAD. DYNETICS PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A MODEL FOR CHAFF RADAR RETURNS FOR MISSILE TDD BY FOLLOWING AN EFFICIENTLY ORGANIZED, PHASED APPROACH. THE FIRST PHASE, PHASE I, WILL PROVIDE A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR SUBSEQUENT PHASES BY DEFINING AND FULLY DOCUMENTING THE METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES FROM WHICH A COMPUTER MODEL CAN BE DEVELOPED FOR CREDIBLY SIMULATING CHAFF RADAR RETURNS. THIS SBIR PROPOSAL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE PHASE I EFFORT.