This chapter has illustrated the advantages of a bistatic FOPEN SAR receiver working in concert with a tethered airborne GMTI radar illuminator. The potential for moderate resolution SAR operation is made possible by the shortrange, higher angular rate collection of a bistatic adjunct receiver. Issues of platform motion are evaluated based on a detailed pulse-by-pulse simulation of a large scene, with impact of foliage scattering and loss and target separation. By placing patterns of targets in the scene, the ability to resolve targets in two cardinal planes is provided. Clearly, the collection geometry of a SAR receiver must be fully understood to provide for desired signal to clutter and resolution. In summary, a bistatic adjunct receiver can provide detection of fixed targets by using the GMTI RADAR waveform. The operation closer to the target area on a small UAV will give increase in system sensitivity and resolution over the monostatic platform. More importantly, both the GMTI RADAR and fixed target surveillance can be obtained with a single waveform. Future analysis is required on the synchronization and direct path radiation from the GMTI radar platform to the UAV and the effect of volumetric clutter on the fixed target detection. This is especially true in a dense radiofrequency interference (RFI) environment. Bistatic operation can definitely provide improvement in system operational capability.

Chapter Contents:

• 9.1 Bistatic RADAR
• 9.2 Bistatic SAR Signal Geometry
• 9.3 Bistatic SAR Resolution
• 9.4 Bistatic SAR Modeling
• 9.5 Summary
• 9.6 References

Inspec keywords: airborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; synchronisation; radar interference; radar detection; radar resolution; radar receivers; object detection

Other keywords: foliage scattering; target separation; pulse-by-pulse simulation; dense radiofrequency interference; angular rate collection; direct path radiation; ground moving target indicator radar; bistatic adjunct receiver; UAV; fixed target surveillance; RFI environment; system sensitivity; monostatic radar platform; bistatic FOPEN SAR receiver; cardinal planes; synchronization; radar resolution; foliage penetration radar; resolution SAR operation; motion platform; fixed target detection; tethered airborne GMTI radar illuminator; SAR receiver collection geometry; GMTI radar waveform; volumetric clutter effect

Subjects: Radar equipment, systems and applications; Electromagnetic compatibility and interference