Compact radar range emulating far field radar by using weighting factors to provide constant magnitude flat field across target zone

摘要

Systems and methods enable numerically creating a flat field in a compact radar range (10) with a curved reflector (20), and without use of a separate phased array of elements, at frequencies lower than those that are possible with currently known, reflector-only compact radar ranges. A compact radar range (10) is calibrated to enable weighting factors to be computed. The weighting factors may be computed by performing an optimization algorithm. The weighting factors are used to weight separate target signals sequentially returned from a target zone (12) such that, when combined, a numerically composite measurement has a substantially constant magnitude across the target zone (12). The compact radar range emulates far field radar conditions. (Radar ranges also referred to as radar cross section (RCS) test facilities).