Army Radar Requirements for the 21st Century

The paper presents a subjective view of what the Army surface based radar user will be asking of radars in the future. In addition to the primary advantages offered by radars, such as "all-weather capability, wide area coverage, and three-dimensional accurate position information, the user wants more. These desires include passivity or at least a low radio frequency signature and more information regarding object identification. In addition, they want the radar to perform multiple functions and missions, seamlessly participate in network operations, and at the same time be very reliable, low maintenance and not cost very much. The paper discusses the rationale behind the requirements and provides some insight into ways to achieve the objectives.