Radar Image Based Near-Field to Far-Field Conversion Algorithm in RCS Measurements

Reliable Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements require complex radar instrumentation systems, very expensive and dedicated test ranges and operations, especially in the case of full scale targets.The capability to perform RCS measurements exploiting near field (NF) test ranges and non-ideally anechoic environments is more and more attractive. Applications related to these topics are recently gaining great interest especially in the design-prototyping loop of low observable platforms and full scale components. To this purpose, Ingegneria dei Sistemi (IDS) has been developing validated RCS measurement solutions and innovative processing techniques for more than ten years.This paper describes a radar image based near-field to far-field (NF2FF) processing procedure to get RCS plots of full scale aerial targets measured in near field conditions, exploiting clutter controlled manufacturing areas, open sites and semi-anechoic laboratories, avoiding perfect anechoic chambers and complex supporting structures.