The DLR near-range experimental radar system for airport surface movement guidance and control

After some introductory notes the principle of target location with the novel DLR near-range experimental radar system is explained and a general system description is given. The functional characteristics and the structure of a single radar station is discussed in detail. Due to sophisticated processing of echo signals of expanded pulses, targets with a backscattering cross section of 1 m³ can be detected at a distance of 1 km utilizing fixed, nonrotating antennas having a broad sector characteristic in the azimuth and low power transmitters (<10 W). From the complex valued range echo profiles, measured by the four stations of a module, the so called rolling status for a plurality of targets including classification can be derived. Next, radar signatures of airport surface vehicles is measured under in situ conditions at Munich Airport. These measurement results are used for the verification of the algorithms for the derivation of the rolling status