Ship Radar Cross Section Determination And Reduction

The development of increasingly sophisticated detection systems threatens to reduce themission effectiveness of many types of platforms. Therefore, strong attention is now beinggiven to methods of increasing survivability by reducing detectability. The modern sensorsuse various signatures to detect a platform i.e. radar, infrared, acoustic, magnetic and opticalsignatures. The modern design requires careful signature control balance for all signatures andthreats. This study is focused on radar signature i.e. radar cross section. The current researchwork is aimed to explore radar cross section principles for ship radar cross sectiondetermination and reduction.Radar Cross Section (RCS) is the measure of reflective strength of a target and gauges theamount of energy reflected back in direction of radar, thus, governs how detectable an objectis by radar. RCS of a platform will govern how early a platform can be detected by the enemy.Reducing the RCS of a military platform implies its late detection, thus less response time,which enables one to optimize on the elements of surprise and initiative. RCS has thusbecome a very important design parameter for all military platforms.In this context, the prospect to study stealth based ship design on academic level has beenevaluated. It is concluded that academic setup to explore stealth ship technologies is vital tofacilitate defense industry in stealth applications.The background for electromagnetic wave scattering mechanisms and RCS reductionapproaches were explored in detail for ship RCS reduction applications. The role of navalarchitects in radar stealth for ships has been discussed. The hindrances in optimizing RCSreduction on ships have also been deliberated.The theoretical background for RCS has been explored in detail for applications to ship RCSdetermination. The current RCS software have been investigated to determine suitablesoftware for ship RCS analysis. RCS analysis code has been developed based on knowledgefrom aforesaid steps.RCS simulation of basic shapes has been carried out and results compared to available results.The in-depth RCS analysis of basic shapes is essential for proficient stealth design. Theunderstanding of impact of size and frequency on RCS of basic shapes is paramount forselecting appropriate shapes while designing a complex target such as ship or aircraft.RCS simulation for target design for simulating radar cross section of ship has been carriedout for radar reflector or radar target design. The applications are radar reflector design forsmall boats for collision avoidance under Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulations ofInternational Maritime Organization. In addition, same principles can be utilized for targetdesign to test radar guidance capabilities of anti-ship missiles.RCS simulation results of combatant model ship DTMB5145are also presented.