Ground clutter measurements using an Aerostat surveillance radar

The authors describe a radar ground clutter measurement program conducted by the Georgia Tech. Research Institute (GTRI) in July and August of 1991. Radar measurements were made using a General Electric (GE) L-88 L-band radar system mounted in an unmanned tethered balloon (Aerostat). These measurement data will be used to develop new clutter models or validate and update existing clutter models for future airborne and space-based radar designs to support design problems in the detection of low observable (LO) targets against a variety of surface clutter backgrounds. Numerous radar clutter models attempt to describe the reflectivity and spectral characteristics of different clutter types, such as sea clutter, land clutter, etc. The purpose of this field measurement program was to collect calibrated L-band measurements of several clutter types to: (1) determine the feasibility of using the Aerostat radar as an instrumentation measurement platform, and (2) to provide data for validation and modification of existing L-band clutter models or the development of new models where needed