Tracking Radar Array for Single Airborne Target

To address Air Force’s need for a micro-single target tracking ground-to-air radar system for use on an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to significantly increase target tracking coverage over water, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (ISI) proposes to develop the new Tracking Radar Array for Single Airborne Target (TRASAT). The TRASAT implements a novel radar architecture that combines a compact radar design operating in a multiple radar array configuration and a novel data processing approach, which enables high accuracy tracking data while operating on an unstable USV. TRASAT is used in a multi-radar array configuration placed along the flight trajectory of a single target under test. By applying trilateration range measurement and GPS data, the agile, compact TRASAT radars achieve higher accuracy and over-the-horizon tracking than big, expensive radar systems. TRASAT is a compact electronic radar that combines analog and digital beamforming technologies that provide wide field of view and high efficiency. In Phase I, ISI will develop a detailed concept architecture for TRASAT, including the radar antenna, electronic modules, and detection, measurement, and tracking algorithms for multi-radar array operation, and then demonstrate its feasibility. In Phase II, ISI will develop and build a TRASAT prototype and test the tracking system’s performance.