Bistatic scattering characterization of a complex object

Although much of the radar development over the past fifty years has been focused in the monostatic domain, a bistatic detection approach offers several key benefits. Without proper understanding of the bistatic scattering mechanisms, utilization of these benefits may not be fully realized This paper addresses some phenomenological aspects of bistatic scattering from a complex object with an emphasis on specular, shadowing, dihedral and cavity effects. Both ray tracing and scattering center approaches are used to describe the bistatic mechanisms. An appraisal of the effectiveness and utility of the bistatic equivalence theorems and several commercial scattering prediction codes are also accomplished. Finally some rules of thumb are proposed to help guide the reader in evaluating the bistatic scattering of complex shapes in general.