Bistatic RCS of Complex Objects near Forward Scatter

A technique is presented for predicting the bistatic radar cross section (RCS) of an opaque, arbitrarily shaped object at angles near forward scatter. Babinet´s principle is employed to approximate the object´s scattering pattern as the two-dimensional Fourier transform of its silhouette. Calculations for spheres and right-circular cylinders are shown to agree with predictions based on exact Mie theory, method of moments, and physical optics. Restrictions on the applicability of the method are presented.