An estimation of radar cross sections of small vessels at HF

In this paper, we estimate the radar cross sections (RCS) of ships with Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of about 1000 tons (“small vessels”) for HF radar operating between 3 and 5 MHz. The estimation is focused on the RCS of ships at aspects close to the end-on (rear- or bow-on) directions. The conclusion of the estimation is that the RCS of the small vessels at aspect angles of up to 25⁰ from the end-on directions are about 25–30 dBm².