An air target engagement simulation for radar proximity fuze development and performance assessment

Guided weapon systems require a proximity fuze device to trigger the explosive warhead. Correct operation of the fuze causing an anti-air missile warhead to function effectively is critical to the successful engagement of a target. Various proximity fuze types are currently employed, ranging from relatively simple inductive and capacitive types to more complex radar and active/passive infra-red systems. The subject of this paper is the use of a software tool for the assessment of radar proximity fuzes in the anti-air environment, i.e. covering microwave and millimetre-wave active radar systems installed within both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. The design and assessment of such fuzes requires that the effectiveness and operational characteristics of proposed designs are simulated, since full scale firings cannot supply the quantity or quality of data required