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Reliable Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements require complex radar instrumentation systems, very expensive and dedicated test ranges and operations, especially in the case of full scale targets.The capability to perform RCS measurements exploiting near field (NF) test ranges and non-ideally anechoic environments is more and more attractive. Applications related to these topics are recently gaining great interest especially in the design-prototyping loop of low observable platforms and full scale components. To this purpose, Ingegneria dei Sistemi (IDS) has been developing validated RCS measurement solutions and innovative processing techniques for more than ten years.This paper describes a radar image based near-field to far-field (NF2FF) processing procedure to get RCS plots of full scale aerial targets measured in near field conditions, exploiting clutter controlled manufacturing areas, open sites and semi-anechoic laboratories, avoiding perfect anechoic chambers and complex supporting structures.

Reliable Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements require complex instrumentation systems, expensive and dedicated test ranges and operations, especially when dealing with full-scale targets. Thus performing RCS measurements using near field test ranges and non-ideally anechoic environments is a very attractive option. Applications related to these topics have recently been of increasing interest especially in the design-prototyping loop of low observable platforms and full-scale components. To this purpose, IDS has been developing and using reliable RCS measurement solutions and innovative processing techniques for more than fifteen years. This paper focuses on the major contributions to uncertainty in radar image based near field to far-field RCS measurement, by reviewing each of the principal sources of uncertainty, both random and systematic, and underlining possible error mitigation strategies.

This paper presents a flying target for monostatic radar verification. It consists of a corner reflector mounted on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The main advantages of this configuration are the lower weight and wind resistance with respect to spheres having the same Radar Cross Section (RCS), leading to an enhanced overall operability. The UAV-mounted target has been tested with indoor and outdoor RCS measurements (X band). Predicted and experimental data are in good agreement.

The measurement of the intensity of electromagnetic emissions is a relevant topic and is of great interest in both the civil and military fields, especially when the levels of the emissions are high. Another similarly current sector is that of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), which are increasingly used as supporting tools by the armed forces and for public security activities. This paper describes the activities carried out and the results obtained within the “PLASTIc” (PLatform Agnostic Sensors for opTImised design of midlife ship refitting) research project, that combines the above application areas. The demonstrator built for the research project is able to carry out a dual task: the measurement of high intensity electrical fields and the taking of pictures to enable the creation of an accurate 3D CAD model reconstruction of the naval systems. In order to fulfill these two tasks, a payload was developed consisting of the necessary electronics and sensors, which was integrated on-board an electrically propelled UAV. The specific research will address, as operational case, the testing after a midlife ship refitting.

The possibility of measuring antennas in a non-anechoic environment presents several practical advantages in terms of reduced costs and complexity of the test range and test execution, making it feasible to effectively integrate the testing process in an industrial design, verification and production flow. The challenge is, however, to achieve reliable and accurate results, fit for the purpose of the application. This paper presents the approach and solution developed by IDS for the case of measuring large radar antennas in strong near-field conditions in a non-anechoic indoor test chamber. The paper describes the instrumentation and procedure employed for such an application, presenting some examples of results for the case of a narrow beam dish antenna in X band and a 19ft slotted waveguide antenna in X band.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Tomography is able to detect targets, measuring their position extended in the height dimension. SAR tomography has the problem that, in order to achieve high resolution in the vertical direction, a Multi-Baseline (MB) radar geometry with a great vertical aperture has to be designed. In SAR Tomography, the tomographic resolution is also inversely proportional to the slant range length and classical pulsed radars has the limitation to work over the slant range distance occupied by the pulse duration space. This paper gives a solution to aver-come this limitation, using a Linearly Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (LFM-CW) radar. The work proposes to process MB SAR data in a full polarimetric configuration, tested on different physically constituted SAR environments. The results are estimated using the Capon Fourier based spectral estimator and the Compressed Sensing, assisted by atomic decomposition and confirms the feasibility to perform single-pass (SP) SAR-Tomography using LFM-CW radars, suitable for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) applications.

This paper presents the process carried out to design, manufacture and optimize the performance of a radar reflector antenna pair; this antenna assembly is to be integrated into a measurement system, used to evaluate Radar Cross Section (RCS) in field testing.