Search radar modification for long range ISAR target recognition

Non-co-operative target recognition can be a valuable capability in a military search radar in various situations /1/. An unidentified observed target can be any of many different things: A civilian light aircraft, a flock of birds or a swarm of insects, a drone, a commercial airliner, a military aircraft, a cruise missile etc. Air defense system controllers need to know what the target type is - long before it is decided how to react to it. In most cases ISAR (Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar) is the only way to get a firm confirmation of the target type in a quick manner and from a long range /2/.