Digital beamforming demonstration radar

The development of a demonstration radar has been undertaken to demonstrate the capabilities and application of digital beamforming techniques and technologies for future monostatic surveillance radars. These techniques and technologies are also applicable to bistatic radars. Aside from nulling mainlobe and sidelobe jammers, digital beamforming can be used to facilitate the implementation of conformal antenna arrays. The formation of multiple beams also permits longer waveforms for better visibility in clutter and chaff and long-dwell NCTR (noncooperative target recognition) waveforms. Digital beamforming can also be used to increase data rates and improve support to weapons. The principal demonstration goals are better than 40-dB spatial nulling of multiple sidelobe jammers in multipath, track accuracy that approaches monopulse performance in the presence of mainlobe jamming, and cancellation of pulsed sidelobe jamming. Virtually all of the design work has been completed, most of the hardware assemblies have been tested, and application software is being written.<>