The preparation of target radar signatures for hardware-in-the-loop

Abstract

The Systems Simulation Centre (SSC), at DSTO uses sophisticated hardware and software to simulate a realistic RF environment. The work here concerns the preparation of Radio Frequency (RF) signatures for airborne targets. Target signatures in this context refer both to the RCS and also to noise in amplitude, angleof-arrival and Doppler features. The investigations described herein attempt to track the sources of target signal modulation to derive numerical estimates of each type of noise and quantification of correlations between types of noise. For targets of complex shape, generation of theoretical estimates of radar cross section (RCS) from the dominant scatterers within the structure may form a useful basis. This dominant scatterer representation can be used as a target model for missile engagement simulation. The present study has employed many aspects of a generic dynamic engagement model, including the point scatterer specification and the engagement geometry. A number of adaptations have been made here to meet RCS and noise modelling requirements in the SSC.