GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DETERMINING THE POTENTIAL PERSONNEL RADIATION HAZARDS FROM PHASED‐ARRAY RADARS ABOARD SHIPS

Abstract

This paper addresses the general considerations that should be examined in determining personnel radiation hazards from shipboard phased-array radars. It is known a priori that the potential radiation hazard associated with any radar system depends on the particular electromagnetic characteristics of the radar and the shipboard environment in which it operates. Consequently, the general characteristics and functions of typical shipboard phased-array radars need to be understood, and the general effects of environmental structures that modify the radiation patterns must be considered. Since in many situations the shipboard environment that is illuminated by an array is in the near-field, meaningful analyses ultimately involve near-field radiation characteristics of both the array and the environmental scattering structures. Moreover, the possibility of significant leakage of RF energy from the transmission links, equipments, and consoles must be considered. Factors such as these are addressed in this article.