MMW technology for enhanced situation awareness/enhanced vision systems

Millimeter wave (MMW) radar systems are now demonstrating the ability to image airport environments in fog. The authors discuss the use of MMW radar technology to provide pilots with enhanced vision and enhanced situation awareness. One of the first steps in providing an autonomous aircraft is the Enhanced Vision System (EVS). This system consists of a heads-up display (HUD) and an imaging MMW radar that provides the pilot with runway imagery on the HUD. Hughes Aircraft Co. has developed a MMW radar designed specifically for the EVS application. This radar was designed to provide the range, resolution, accuracy, update rate, and safety monitoring functions required to meet the demanding Category III FAA certification requirements. The Hughes MMW radar comprises three subsystems: the processor, transceiver and antenna. The radar is currently undergoing testing. To test the radar´s ability to compensate for aircraft motion and provide real-time imagery, a dynamic platform was used to simulate aircraft motion