Flashlight Radar: A Three-Dimensional Imaging Radar

Abstract : In support of several programs at Lincoln Laboratory, a small focused-beam polarimetric, millimeter-wave radar scatterometer (an instrument for measuring radar cross section) has been developed. An overview of the design of this 'Flashlight Radar' is presented. Theoretical and empirical studies of antenna performance are discussed. The backscatter theory relating to the characteristics of the Flashlight Radar as a scatterometer is presented, and experimental RCS measurements are compared with theoretical predictions. The data processing steps (polarimetric calibration and compensation, signal processing, and image formation) are described. We show the results of two representative experiments using the Flashlight Radar. The first is a measurement of dihedral and trihedral reflectors with and without radar camouflage. The second is a faster scan of a truck tire, highlighting the radar's fine resolution and its ability to collect three-dimensional data.