Electromagnetic interactions between a high frequency surface wave and a ship

In this paper, we assess the capability of a HFSW radar to detect a small fast boat moving behind a ship, the dimensions of which are comparable to the wavelength. We show that, in the HF band, the scattered field in the shadow region of the large ship is significant enough to induce strong coupling between the two vessels. This results in fluctuations in the values of the RCS of the small boat of about 12 dB.