Atmospheric loss considerations in radar range equations

Several types of electronic systems (telecommunication, monostatic radar, and three cases of bistatic radar) are considered along with three problems of electronic warfare system types. First, the homogeneous atmosphere is dealt with, and in each case the maximum range equation is given and discussed. By means of appropriate normalization and sometimes simple algebraic manipulations, it is shown that, except for one bistatic case, the maximum range equation can be brought into the form y/sup 2/10/sup alpha y/=1. Here, the unknown variable y is the sought maximum range, normalized to the free-space maximum range, and alpha is the attenuation factor. The graph of y( alpha ) for alpha epsilon (10/sup -4/, 100) is computed and given, and a simple program for a programmable calculator that computes y for a given alpha is shown. The case of the inhomogeneous atmosphere is also considered and shown to be more complicated.<>