Products & Services

Radar Systems

Instrumentation Radars

The three coherent instrumentation radar systems provide the Test Ranges primary real-time tracking capability. Located at strategic positions effective coverage of the entire test arena is ensured. The monopulse systems operating in C-band were designed for a variety of applications. These applications encompass general test range work, including missile and ammunition evaluation, and aircraft performance tests.

The instrumentation radars are used for the following:

• Long range radar tracking using a transponder
• Coherent measurement providing direct measurement of target radial velocity
• State vector input to backup safety display
• Long range radar tracking in transponder (beacon) mode
• Coherent measurement (skin mode) providing direct measurement of target radial velocity
• Recording of this data for off-line processing
• EW testing

Accuracies include real-time range error of less than 2.5m (rms) and angular errors of less than 100 micro radian (rms).

The radars can track in coherent (skin) or transponder (beacon) modes. The transponder is mounted in the missile and receives the radar pulse and re-transmits a single pulse or a double pulse on a different frequency, depending on the settings of the transponder. A transponder is used when assurance is needed that the radar is tracking the correct object, and for more accurate or longer distance tracking. The transponders input and output specifications depend on the specific test requirements.