Characterization of target-pylon interactions in RCS measurements

Target interactions with pylon supports can be a significant contamination source in radar cross section (RCS) measurements. The direct scattering from ogival pylon supports has been previously examined, but interactions between targets and pylons have not been extensively studied. As part of an on-going program to develop methods of reducing support contamination, the phenomenology of target-pylon interactions was characterized by examining wideband numerical simulations and experimental measurements of canonical targets mounted on pylon supports. Radar imaging techniques were used to separate target returns from support/interaction contamination. The numerical simulations provided noiseless data with known free space target scattering and no measurement uncertainty. The experimental measurements provided validation of the numerical results and observations of interactions over a wider range of target type, size and orientation. These observations have been used to develop post-processing algorithms for mitigating target-pylon interactions in RCS measurements. The authors review the data and describe the observed interactions.