EFFECTS OF NOISE ON DISCRIMINATION OF DECOYS

THE CONCEPT OF EMPLOYING REENTRY DECOYS IN ORDER TO CONFUSE THE DEFENSE AND INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF RV PENETRATION IS AN ATTRACTIVE OFFENSIVE OPTION. THE SUCCESS OF A RESOURCE LIMITED DEFENSE AGAINST THIS OFFENSE TACTIC RESTS HEAVILY ON ITS CAPABILITY TO PERFORM THE DECOY/RV DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE. THEREFORE, THE OFFENSE IN ASSESSING ITS EFFECTIVENESS REQUIRES A GOOD QUANTITATIVE MEASURE OF THE DEFENSE'S DISCRIMINATION CAPABILITY. THE OFFENSE IS ALSO INTERESTED IN ANY MEANS BY WHICH THIS DISCRIMINATION CAPABILITY CAN BE EFFECTIVELY REDUCED. THE USE OF A JAMMER ECM THREAT AGAINST THE RADAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH DECOYS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN DECOPYS BY THEMSELVES. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE JAMMER TACTIC IS RELATED TO THE LEVEL OF DISCRIMINATION DEGRADATION PRODUCED BY THE JAMMER INDUCED RADAR NOISE. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A METHODOLOGY FOR CREATING AND EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF A CLOUD OF JAMMERS ON A DEFENSIVE RADAR'S ABILITY TO DISCRIMINATE DECOYS FROM REENTRY VEHICLES. THE METHOD INCLUDES A MEANS OF DETERMINING, THROUGH SIMULATION, EQUIVALENT DISCRIMINATION K-FACTOR (K = DELTA MICRON/SIGMA) AS A FUNCTION OF RADAR SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO. THE DISCRIMINATION DATA ALSO PERMITS A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF THE USE OF ALTERNATE MEANS FOR THRESHOLD SELECTION IN THE JAMMER SCENARIO.