A radar range has been constructed at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Submillimeter-Wave Technology Laboratory to investigate electromagnetic scattering and imagery of threat military targets located in forested terrain. The radar system, operating at X-band, uses 1/35th scale targets and scenes to acquire VHF/UHF signature data. The trees and ground planes included in the measurement scenes have been dielectrically scaled in order to properly model the target/clutter interaction. The signature libraries acquired by the system could be used to help develop automatic target recognition algorithms. The difficulty in target recognition in forested areas is due to the fact that trees can have a signature larger than that of the target. The rather long wavelengths required to penetrate the foliage canopy also complicate target recognition by limiting image resolution. The measurement system and imaging algorithm will be presented as well as a validation of the measurements obtained by comparing measured signatures with analytical predictions. Preliminary linear co-polarization (HH,VV) and cross-polarization (HV,VH) data will be presented on an M1 tank in both forested and open-field scenarios
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