Enhanced EWS Receiver Design for the Detection of LPI Signals

"Modern LPI radars, such as Signaal's SCOUT coastal surveillanceradars, pose a serious challenge to conventional EW support (EWS)receivers, which will typically intercept the LPI radar signal atranges shorter than the radar's detection range. This negativedetection margin makes naval vessels such as submarinesvulnerable to attack, since the radar can detect the periscope ormast well before the LPI radar signal is detected. During PhaseI, TSC developed the concept of a Delay-Multiply Detector (DMD),and demonstrated that it is capable of detecting LPI signals atranges greater than the radar's detection range with a highdetection probability, in less than the radar's dwell-time.In the basic Phase II, TSC proposes to design, fabricate, andtest a Proof-of-Concept (POC) Demonstration System consisting ofRF/IF subsections and a DMD embodied in a specially-designeddigital signal processor. The Phase II tests will demonstratethe DMD's LPI intercept performance in a free-space laboratorysetting; the LPI signal(s) will be generated by signal generator(s), or by LPI radar(s) such as the SCOUT, if available. ThePhase II Option will consist of designing a Pre-Production systembased on POC Demo subsystems, for incorporation within anoperational EWS suite in Phase III tests.BENEFITS: It is anticipated that a direct benefit of this effort will be an Enhanced EWS Receiver providing LPI signal intercept capabilities to existing (or planned) operati