INVESTIGATION OF AN EAGLE SCANNER FOR A RADAR CUER

AN ALTERNATE MEANS OF ACHIEVING BEAM SCAN FOR THE RADAR CUER APPLICATION IS BY MEANS OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SCANNERS. VARIOUS TYPES OF SUCH SCANNERS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS BUT HAVE LARGELY BEEN IGNORED RECENTLY IN FAVOR OF ALL ELECTRONIC SCANNING - FOR REASONS OF BULK, WEIGHT, SCAN SECTOR AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BEAM AGILITY. BUT, IN MOST BATTLEFIELD RADAR APPLICATIONS (WEAPON LOCATION EXCLUDED) AGILITY IS NOT REQUIRED. WITH THIS FACT IN MIND, WE HAVE RE-EXAMINED THE APPLICABILITY OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SCANNERS TO THE RADAR CUER PROBLEM. THERE IS ONE ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SCANNER CONCEPT IN PARTICULAR, THE WORK WAR II EAGLE SCANNER, THAT IS A PRIME CANDIDATE FOR USE IN THIS APPLICATION. THE EAGLE SCANNER HS SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OVER THE ELECTRONIC PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA IN TERMS OF COST AND SIDELOBE PERFORMANCE. CONSEQUENTLY, WE BELIEVE THAT THE EAGLE SCANNER SHOULD BE EVALUATED AS A COST AND PERFORMANCE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO THE RADAR CUER PROBLEM. THE SBIR PROGRAM PROVIDES THE GOVERNMENT WITH AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THIS ALTERNATIVE FROM A POINT OF MINIMUM TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL RISK.