Radar Cross Section Prediction and Reduction for Naval Ships

Radar cross section (RCS) is the measurement of the reflective strength of a target. Reducing the RCS of a naval ship enables its late detection, which is useful for capitalizing on elements of surprise and initiative. Thus, the RCS of a naval ship has become a very important design factor for achieving surprise, initiative, and survivability. Consequently, accurate RCS determination and RCS reduction are of extreme importance for a naval ship. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the theoretical background and engineering approach to deal with RCS prediction and reduction for naval ships. The importance of RCS, radar fundamentals, RCS basics, RCS prediction methods, and RCS reduction methods for naval ships is also discussed.