MULTIPATH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RADAR TRACKING OF LOW FLYING TARGETS ARE A WELL KNOWN PHENOMENON.

MULTIPATH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RADAR TRACKING OF LOW FLYING TARGETS ARE A WELL KNOWN PHENOMENON. EXCEPT FOR TERRAIN BOUNCE ECM, MULTIPATH EFFECTS HAVE NOT BEEN EXPLOITED FOR PURPOSES OF ENHANCING ECM TECHNIQUE EFFECTIVENESS. IF MULTIPATH EFFECTS CAN BE EXPLOITED TO AID TECHNIQUE EFFECTIVENESS, THERE COULD BE IMPACTS TO TECHNIQUE DESIGN AND JAMMER POWER REQUIREMENTS. DURING PHASE I, MACAULAYBROWN, INC. PROPOSES TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF EXPLOITING MULTIPATH EFFECTS BY ANSWERING TWO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS: A) HOW MUCH OF THE TIME DURING A THREAT ENGAGEMENT IS A LOW ALTITUDE COMBAT AIRCRAFT IN A POSITION SUCH THAT THE TERRAIN BETWEEN THE JAMMER AND THE THREAT ANTENNA WILL SUPPORT MULTIPATH? B) DURING THOSE PERIODS IN WHICH MULTIPATH EXISTS, WHAT IS THE JAMMING SIGNAL STRENGTH RATIO OF THE DIRECT PATH TO INDIRECT PATH FOR DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT GEOMETRIES AND TERRAIN TYPES; AND WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL VALUES OF THE TWO SIGNAL (DIRECT AND INDIRECT) FOR DIFFERENT TERRAIN/RCS/THREAT/JAMMER COMBINATIONS? ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS WILL INDICATE WHETHER AN AIRCRAFT FLYING A REALISTIC COMBAT ENGAGEMENT CARRYING NOMENCLATURED EQUIPMENT CAN EXPECT TO EXPLOIT MULTIPATH EFFECTS. GIVEN THAT THE CONCEPT PROVES FEASIBLE, THE PHASE II EFFORT WILL DETERMINE OPTIMUM TECHNIQUE PARAMETERS FOR EXPLOITING MULTIPATH EFFECTS.