Cruise Missile Detection Using IMSAR’s Radar on Persistent, Airborne Platform

Cruise Missile Detection (CMD) has become an active problem of interest for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Ground based radars have largely formed a basis of early warning missile detection at long range. This has worked well for detecting aircraft and missiles that fly at altitude. This has not traditionally worked well for low-flying targets such as cruise missiles which are usually detected with close-in radar/weapon systems. The reason low-flying targets are difficult to detect is because the curvature of the earth limits the ability to see low altitude targets at long range, regardless of power emitted by the ground based radar. IMSAR proposes to leverage its existing Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 and 9 airborne radar systems and Moving Target Indication (MTI) modes to develop a radar system that can detect and track cruise missiles and other airborne targets from persistent, airborne platforms, such as tethered Aerostats or High-Altitude, Long-Endurance (HALE) platform such as a stratospheric balloon or Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). IMSAR has already developed an MTI mode that uses advanced algorithms, such as Space-Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) and Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithms. The proposed system will be able to detect airborne targets, such as cruise missiles, at longer ranges than a ground-based radar system because it will not be subject to the same limitations caused by the earth’s curvature. The proposed system will be able to detect low flying targets such as cruise missiles, small commercial drones, and light aircraft.