Radar Procedure Research Articles

Insensitive Environment Calibration Procedure for an Instrumental Radar

In this paper, we present a calibration procedure for radar cross section (RCS) measurement systems that is insensitive to environmental perturbations. This procedure has been used in several measurement campaigns to calibrate the measurement system of the Spanish Navy called LIBRA. The proposed method not only allows us to discard environment corrupted measurements but also to make use of them thanks to the Doppler discrimination. A bank of Doppler filters, together with the dynamic control of the calibration target, allow us to turn our traditional calibration procedure into a free-space calibration method, avoiding the influence of any possible multipath component that could be present in the time of calibration. The paper contains a detailed description of the proposed procedure. Also, some application examples that confirm the usefulness and accuracy of this technique are presented.

Selection in Air Traffic Control: Is Nonradar Training a Predictor of Radar Performance?

The purpose of the current research was to investigate whether performance in nonradar training would predict performance in radar training. There is a discussion in the Federal Aviation Administration about the necessity of keeping nonradar training as part of the required selection criteria for radar controllers. In nonradar training, controllers separate traffic by relying on the estimated time over navigational fixes printed on flight progress strips, rather than monitoring the perceptually available positional information on a radar screen. The two ways of controlling traffic-nonradar and radar-are different along a number of dimensions. Sixteen participants were taught to control simulated air traffic using nonradar and radar procedures. Performance on final radar scenarios was predicted from cognitive variables; performance on earlier, simpler radar scenarios; and performance on nonradar scenarios. Performance during nonradar trials predicted final radar performance (i.e., collisions and landed aircraft count) independent of the predictive power of cognitive variables and above and beyond earlier radar training. Performance in nonradar training enhanced users' ability to predict radar performance, even in addition to the predictive power of simpler, earlier radar performance variables. Good nonradar performers had higher situation awareness in the radar environment. Performance in a nonradar environment may serve as an important selection tool in assessing the performance of student controllers in radar environments. The results indicate the need for future research with field controllers.

Operational Effects of Windfarm Developments on Air Traffic Control (ATC) Radar Procedures for Glasgow Prestwick International Airport

Operational Effects of Windfarm Developments on Air Traffic Control (ATC) Radar Procedures for Glasgow Prestwick International Airport

Maritime Area Control

Traditionally ‘Freedom of the Seas’ has meant that the ‘Master under God’ has been answerable to no one for his ship handling and manœuvring, except in the case of collision, when he has been answerable to the Courts. Congestion of certain sea areas and waterways has created situations where some restriction to this freedom has become acceptable in the interests of general safety; harbour radar procedures, the Dover Strait and other traffic separation schemes are the most well-known examples. Such areas will increase in number and size as the volume of trade increases.

Marine Collision Avoidance: Human Factor Considerations for the Development and Operation of an Effective Merchant Marine Radar

The objective of this paper is to identify problem areas in the use of radar and to show the implication of these problems to those involved in ship operations and radar development. The discussion includes the operating procedure for radar, the philosophy of radar use in the merchant service and the modification thereto required by increased speeds and traffic, the relevance of basic operator capabilities, and operator information requirements versus current display capabilities. These problem areas and requirements were identified as one aspect of a study of “Human Factors in Ship Control” conducted for the Maritime Administration (MA-4221). The paper emphasizes the need for research designed to develop a radar system which meets the deck officer's requirements yet which is compatible with his capabilities and the cost constraints of the merchant service.