Use of a Plane-Wave Synthesis Technique to Obtain Target RCS From Near-Field Measurements, With Selective Feature Extraction Capability

A novel 3-D radar cross section (RCS) feature extraction technique using a combination of plane-wave synthesis and 3-D imaging procedures is presented. The technique enables RCS as a function of frequency to be obtained for a target containing multiple scattering centers, where individual scattering elements can be evaluated in isolation from neighboring elements. The technique is validated against numerical simulations and measurements using a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) facility over the 8-12-GHz frequency range.