Radar cross section of simple and complex targets in the C-band: A comparison between anechoic chamber measurements and simulations

Abstract

In order to validate RCS measurements performed in an anechoic chamber, experimental results are compared with simulations made using a commercial electromagnetic software package. The experimental part of this work was performed inside an anechoic chamber, with the radar operating in the C-band (6 GHz). Two metallic targets, a cylindrical body with four square fins and a section of an air-to-air missile, were used for the RCS measurements. In order to improve the accuracy of the experimental data, an active noise suppressing system, based on the principle of phase cancellation, was used. The simulation software FEKO was used to calculate the RCS of models of these two targets. The comparison of simulations and experimental data shows good agreement between them, validating the experimental methods used in the collection of RCS data, as well as the results obtained with the simulation software. Copyright © (2008) by the Electromagnetics Academy.