Dynamic detection capability of a mobile bistatic weapons locating radar

In this paper a bistatic radar concept using an airborne, mobile receiver is proposed for an artillery-location application. The performance of such a conceptual system is dependent on tracking the artillery projectile for a sufficient flight time to enable accurate determination of the complete trajectory. We report dynamic coverage and flight time detection results for a range of bistatic configurations and radar and target parameters. This has been accomplished using a two-dimensional bistatic radar computer simulation developed especially for this analysis. The model incorporates bistatic RCS data to simulate realistic target reflection characteristics. It is shown that a bistatic system using a single mobile receiver is effective for the required task over a large surveillance range and is a viable alternative to current monostatic systems. Potential improvements to the system are discussed.