Radio-frequency (RF) electronic targets, such as man-portable electronics, cannot be detected by traditional linear radar because the radar cross section of those targets is much smaller than that of nearby clutter. One technology that is capable of separating RF electronic targets from naturally-occurring clutter is nonlinear radar. Presented in this paper is the evolution of nonlinear radar at the United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and recent results of short-range over-the-air harmonic radar tests there. For the present implementation of ARL’s nonlinear radar, the transmit waveform is a chirp which sweeps one frequency at constant amplitude over an ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB). The receiver captures a single harmonic of this entire chirp. From the UWB received harmonic, a nonlinear frequency response of the radar environment is constructed. An inverse Fourier Transform of this nonlinear frequency response reveals the range to the nonlinear target within the environment. The chirped harmonic radar concept is validated experimentally using a wideband horn antenna and commercial off-the-shelf electronic targets.

Date Published: 21 May 2015
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 9461, Radar Sensor Technology XIX; and Active and Passive Signatures VI, 946108 (21 May 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2177311

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9461:
Radar Sensor Technology XIX; and Active and Passive Signatures VI
G. Charmaine Gilbreath; Kenneth I. Ranney; Armin Doerry; Chadwick Todd Hawley, Editor(s)