Integrated Multiple Frequency Radar (IMFRAD): A Real-Time Foliage Penetration Radar

W. C. Adams; J. D. Bigham; A. E. Brindley; J. E. Carroll

doi:10.1117/12.956215

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31 August 1978 Integrated Multiple Frequency Radar (IMFRAD): A Real-Time Foliage Penetration Radar

W. C. Adams; J. D. Bigham; A. E. Brindley; J. E. Carroll

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Proceedings Volume 0137, Airborne Reconnaissance III; (1978) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956215
Event: 1978 Technical Symposium East, 1978, Washington, D.C., United States

Abstract

IMFRAD is an airborne radar system providing unique capabilities in the real-time detection of targets immersed in foliage, targets screened by foliage, as well as targets in open terrain. Careful selection of operating frequencies, combined with state-of-the-art digital processor technology, provides the airborne commander with the ability to penetrate foliage, map terrain, identify moving targets and detect changes in battlefield activity levels. The system may be operated in broadside, aft or forward-looking modes. IMFRAD hardware is presently in the final stages of checkout and in early 1978 will be installed in a C141 aircraft preparatory to a year of flight testing. During the test program the system will be flown against a variety of real targets at a number of sites ranging from open desert to tropical forests. The flight test plan is aimed at establishing a comprehensive data base (target cross sections, foliage attenuation and refraction characteristics, etc.) for design of IMFRAD engineering models. This paper discusses the operational potential of IMFRAD capabilities. It reviews the status of the current hardware and the objectives of the upcoming flight test program.

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W. C. Adams, J. D. Bigham, A. E. Brindley, and J. E. Carroll "Integrated Multiple Frequency Radar (IMFRAD): A Real-Time Foliage Penetration Radar", Proc. SPIE 0137, Airborne Reconnaissance III, (31 August 1978); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956215

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