Marcelo A. S. Miacci

Radar cross section measurements (8-12 GHz) of flat plates painted with microwave absorbing materials

The aim of the present work is to present radar cross section measurements of flat plates painted with radar absorbing material (RAM) in the range of 8-12 GHz. The measurements were carried out in an anechoic chamber at Centro Tecnico Aeroespacial (CTA)-Ministerio da Defesa facilities, and the RAM coating was manufactured at Divisao de Materiais of Instituto de Aeronautica e Espaco (IAE)/CTA. The obtained attenuation results from the RAM painted plates characterization were transformed in radar cross section diagram, in square meters, using theoretical values of reflectors with controlled dimensions. The obtained results demonstrate the RAM coating causes a radar cross section reduction of 94% of the radiation, when impinged at normal incidence, at 8 GHz.

Basics on Radar Cross Section Reduction Measurements of Simple and Complex Targets Using Microwave Absorbers

The research of Radar Cross Section (RCS) of simple and complex objects is decisively important to identify targets such as aircraft, missiles, rockets, ships and other objects, with the purpose of improving or rendering difficult their radar visibility in various frequency ranges. The use of RCS measurements of targets have expanded to more than solely military applications in the identification and control processes of defense systems (Burgess, 1988).

Radar cross section measurements of complex targets (missile parts) in C-band in anechoic chamber

Assembly of an experimental setting necessary to measure the radar cross section (RCS) of simple and complex targets was accomplished in an anechoic chamber using an active noise suppression system, by using the C-band of frequencies (5.0 to 7.0 GHz). As results of this Brazilian pioneer work in the area of electromagnetic characterization, the diagrams of the radar cross section of a cylindrical body integrated to the square fins, here denominated as Hypothetical Missile, and a section of a real missile were obtained. From the results obtained, the attributes and advantages of implementing the proposed measuring system are discussed in the present work.

Implementation of an active noise suppression system in C-band indoor RCS measurements

The present article shows the results of ongoing works at AMR/IAE/CTA in the configuration of an experimental setting necessary to determine the error sources in radar cross section (RCS) measurements and hence minimize them by means of a system developed to measure targets in C- Band (6.0 GHz), in a closed environment, using an anechoic chamber. Microwave circuit techniques were employed aiming at an active noise suppressing system, by use of the principle of phase canceling. By means of this work it was possible to perform comparison of the RCS measurements, with and without the developed system, and observe its influence in such measurements. Given the accuracy obtained, it can be asserted that implementation of this system in future measurements will be very useful and necessary for the determination of RCS of complex objects, such as missiles, aircrafts and helicopters.

Radar Cross Section of Simple and Complex Targets in the C-band: A Comparison between Anechoic Chamber Measurements and Simulations

In order to validate RCS measurements performed in an anechoic chamber, experi- mental results are compared with simulations made using a commercial electromagnetic software package. The experimental part of this work was performed inside an anechoic chamber, with the radar operating in the C-band (6GHz). Two metallic targets, a cylindrical body with four square flns and a section of an air-to-air missile, were used for the RCS measurements. In order to improve the accuracy of the experimental data, an active noise suppressing system, based on the principle of phase cancellation, was used. The simulation software FEKO was used to calculate the RCS of models of these two targets. The comparison of simulations and experimental data shows good agreement between them, validating the experimental methods used in the collection of RCS data, as well as the results obtained with the simulation software.