FREQUENCY AGILE RADAR SYSTEM

Abstract

A frequency agile radar system allows tracking of noncooperative targets with high accuracy. The system is particularly useful in an automatic landing system aboard an aircraft carrier. The radar employs an electronically steered planar array antenna system in which a symmetrical pencil beam of 1° beamwidth is steered in 1/2° steps in a raster scan. A space-stabilized acquisition window allows target acquisition, and target scanning modes are chosen as a function of target range. At far range, target scan is effected by those four beam raster positions which bracket the target whereas when the target is at near range where its cross section is larger than a single beamwidth, the raster is "ballooned" to paint or cover the target fully. The computed track of the target provides a continuing update of autopilot command signals radioed to the target to bring it to and hold it on a selected glideslope which effects the automatic landing.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1CARL E. KLINGENSCHMITT

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