TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter presents a brief discussion of radar performance analysis and modeling methodology, followed by five example problems and their solutions.
Radar system performance modeling problems are usually stated in terms of the system performance results required. Input data on the radar system and its operating modes, the target complex and countermeasures applied, and environmental conditions may or may not be sufficient to fully define the problem. It is the task of the radar system analyst to:
Analyze the problem;
Develop an approach to generating the required results;
Obtain the necessary data, or make reasonable assumptions;
Perform the calculations required;
Present the results in a meaningful fashion.
While there are often many ways to approach and solve a problem, the following steps have proved useful:
Define the objectives of the analysis. What output data is required? What would be a useful format for presenting the results? It may be useful to generate notional plots or tables of the expected results.
Review the available problem data. What radar parameters are available? Is a radar reference range defined? What target data is provided? Do radar CMs or environmental effects play a role, and are they adequately defined? Straightforward radar parameter calculations may be made at this step. For example, wavelength may be calculated from frequency, and aperture area from antenna gain.
Lay out the analysis steps. One useful approach is to work backward from the desired results. Another approach is to work forward from the data available. In some cases,...
