Feasibility of a synthetic aperture radar with rotating antennas (ROSAR)

ROSAR (rotor-SAR) is a synthetic aperture radar concept for pilot sight target detection and target localization with high resolution. ROSAR is based on illuminating/receiving antennas placed at the tips of helicopter rotor blades. The ROSAR concept has potential benefits for civil and military helicopter-borne imaging applications. The concept has two main potential benefits: the imaging field of view is 360°, and there is no need for a forward velocity of the carrier platform. As opposed to SAR systems based on linear movement of the antenna, ROSAR imaging is based on synthetic apertures of a circular shape. Thus, the image formation process requires a polar format processing architecture