Aircraft detection and tracking with high frequency radar

Abstract

Northern Radar Systems Limited has built a high frequency ground wave radar at Cape Race, Newfoundland, for over-the-horizon (OTH) detection of targets. Operational experience with the radar has demonstrated that this technology has significant potential for all weather, cost-effective surveillance of large coastal areas. The radar uses a frequency modulated interrupted continuous wave (FMICW) signal, specifically developed for long range target detection. For the detection of fast targets, conventional processing is constrained by the limited time that a target is present in a range cell. This problem can be eliminated by using velocity matched filters to process the FMICW signals. For the case of manoeuvring targets, the signal processing must also take the target acceleration into account. Results of OTH detection and tracking of low-flying aircraft, including flight segments with manoeuvres, using the HF-GWR system are presented.