Chapter 2

Radar Equations

Introduction
Maximum detection range depends on the SNR

of the received signal:

Transmitted power
Target range:

As the target range is increased as the received

signal power is decreased, due to spreading over
greater and greater area of the transmitted waves.
Antenna gain (directivity, efficient factor);
(the gain can be expressed as the ratio of the power
radiated in the direction of max radiation, to the
power that would have been radiated by a lossless
isotropic antenna.

G D

Introduction
Target radar cross section

The targets intercepts a portion of the

transmitted signal and reflects it in various
directions. How much of the signal is
intercepted, how well the target reflects
radar waves and how much of the reflected
signal is actually directed back towards the
radar, these affect and determine the size of
the target as seen by the radar. The measure
of this size is Radar Cross Section RCS ( in
units area).
Change from target to another and even from
one orientation to another of the same
target.

RCS
The conceptual definition of RCS includes the

fact that not all of the radiated energy falls on

the target. A targets RCS (F) is most easily
visualized as the product of three factors:
= Projected cross section x Reflectivity x
Directivity .
Reflectivity: The percent of intercepted power

reradiated (scattered) by the target.

Directivity: The ratio of the power scattered back
in the radar's direction to the power that would
have been backscattered, the scattering been
uniform in all directions (i.e. isotropically).

Introduction
Antenna effective area

The reflected signal toward the radar is

intercepted by the receiving antenna, how
much this area is important, how better the
level of received signal at the receiver.
How much the Receiving Antenna area is
big, the radar performance is better.

Derivation of radar equation

(monostatic radar)
Case of no-loss path of the transmitted and

reflected waves:
1. The transmitted wave from the TX antenna has as
power Pt and it is propagated toward the target.
2. Calculate the Power density at distance RPof the
t
power
density

target
4R 2
(in the case of isotropic antenna)
(in the case of directive antenna)
Pt G Power density

power density

4R 2

Where G is the maximun gain of the antenna (supposing

that the target is situated at distance R inside the
main beam )

Derivation of radar equation

3. Calculate the Power reflected back to receiver

antenna, this is different to the power

recieved by the antenna receiver
Pt G

2
4R
4. Power density of the reflected wave toward

Pt G
radar antenna receiver
is equal to:
2
4R
4R 2

5. Calculate the intercepted power

Pt at
Gthe

Pr to the
Ae
antenna receiver, this is related
2 2
4R
effective area of the antenna (area where the

Study of the Radar equation

Dependance of Range

Pt G
Pr
Ae
2 4
4 R
if R then Pr

Pr (dB ) 10 log10 Pr

Exp:
1. R2=2R1 then Pr2 =Pr1/16
2. How many the Range should be changed to
necessitate an increasing power of 3 dB Radar
system where RCS, f, Ae, G constant values,
gives.

Study of the Radar equation

Dependence on frequency
Ae is related to G,

Pt G 2G Pt G 2 2
Pr

2 4
4
4 R
4 3 R 4

restriction of this formula..

More representative formula
2

Pr

Pt AeT Aet arg Ae

c4 R4

f 4 Pr f 4

VHF : 30 MHZ 300 MHZ, increasing of 40 dB

UHF: 300 MHZ 1GHZ, increasing of 20.89 dB
Lband: 1GHZ 2GHZ, increasing of 12 dB

Pr K dB 40 log f

Maximum detection range

The max detection Range Rmax is ultimately determined by

the minimum signal to noise ratio required by the receiver.

For a given noise level at the input of the receiver, the
minimum signal to noise ratio depends on the minimum
detectable signal power Smin, A signal weaker
than Smin,
1/ 4
would covered by noise and
not be detected.
Pt would
G Aeprobably

Rmax

4 S min
2

Consequently for long ranges, the following parameters

should be chosen accordingly:

Pt must be higher

G must be higher
Smin must be low (receiver ability to detect weak signal level)

Rmax in terms of transmitted frequency:

Pt G

4
3
4 S min

Rmax

an
d

Rmax 4

Pt AeT Aet2 arg Ae

S min

Radar equation with Losses

introduced
Case of monostatic radar with two

antennas

Suppose Pt is the output power of the

transmitter, This power may be reduced by
mismatch and losses in the microwave
elements (duplexer, circulators, isolators, etc.)
and transmission line (waveguide or coaxial

Radar equation with Losses

introduced

If with

Then the average peak power accepted at the

receiver antenna is denoded as Pacc, where:
Lrt (radiation loss of the transmitting antenna)
because some power is lost through heating
effects in the structure of the antenna. This loss is
denoted by and defined by:
is the efficiency of the transmitting antenna
With these losses the average peak radiated
power is :

Radar equation with Losses

introduced

If
all the average peak radiated power occurred
from a nondirective (isotropic) antenna, the power
density of the wave at distance R1 would be:

where Lch1 is the one path medium loss (due to all

clear and unclear channel effects that may be
present (atmospheric attenuations, effects of rain,
snow, etc. )
If the antenna is directive with Gain in the direction
of the target, then the power density toward the
target direction is:

Radar equation with Losses

introduced
The reflected power from the target in the

direction of the receiving antenna is given

by:
The reflected power received by the RX
antenna:

Radar equation with Losses

introduced
The received power is then equal to:

Where Lrr is the antenna receiving loss :

And also,

Example

find the maximum range R of a monostatic

radar (with same antenna of trasmission and
reception) that must provide an available
received average peak signal power of 1012 W when frequency is 4.6 GHz, Pt = W,
the antenna's aperture area is 2.0 m2 ,
aperture efficiency is 0.64, radar cross
section is 1.4 m2 , loss of transmitting
antenna is 1.2, loss of antennas radiation =
1.04, and loss of path = 1.43.