| Mode I, (fully automatic) carrier landings require a high degree of radar tracking accuracy, far surpassing that which can be achieved by tracking the skin of a aircraft itself. These types of landings are mission critical, leaving little room for position error or system malfunction. AN/APN-202 active beacons currently employed on aircraft undergoing this type of landing, e.g., the F/A-18A/B/C/D, remove glint induced tracking inaccuracies by virtue of their operating in a cross-band mode. These beacons, are due for either re-design or replacement with a more modern technology, primarily due to functional and age related problems.; The polarization sensitive, point source target, was conceived as a passive and compact means to achieving a distinct, aspect invariant, point return from an aircraft on final approach. The main objectives of the research, documented herein, were to: (1) implement the reflector concept itself, in a robust, flight compliant configuration, and (2) verify, and quantify, its performance through flight testing; employing the AN/SPN-46(V) radar system, equipped with a Radar Doppler Video Processor (RDVP). |
