The Development of a Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator

Abstract

The Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator described herein was developed at the U. S. Army Signal Missile Support Agency Laboratories, White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, N. M., by a group of Signal Corps engineers and technicians, utilizing components from scrapped radars and standard RF test equipment. This versatile simulator can be used to test existing radars for signal saturation and electronic counter-countermeasures techniques, such as regulating RF and video gain, contrast, etc. Provision is made to simulate antenna patterns and to vary the size of the target from 0.1 to 100 square meters. The expense involved in training radar operators to cope with raids involving hundreds of aircraft has led to the development of various target simulators. As the state-of-the-art in electronic countermeasures (ECM) improved, it became apparent that ECM simulation was also necessary to train radar operators under the conditions that would prevail when aircraft would be radiating thousands of watts of jamming power. Most of the simulators developed used IF or video injection of target signals in the simulator and did not provide the realism desired or allow the radar operator to exercise electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) techniques effectively. The problem then became one of realistic simulation of both target and jamming signals. Field experience at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) had demonstrated that simulation could be accomplished most effectively at the RF level. This finding, by WSMR engineers, led to the design and development of the Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator.