atz@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (Jeff) (01/24/91)
From: atz@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (Jeff) stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson x2580 dept303) writes: >I think I saw some numbers reported as being able to track targets >at 50 miles out... The missile uses a phased array radar system >for initial tracking...I'm confused as to whether the missile carries >it's own on-board radar or whether it receives instructions from the >ground based radar... The impression I got is that it is no more than a sophisticated remote controlled device. Instead of the person on the ground controlling it, the ground computers do that, and guides it to the blip on the radar screen. -- begin 644 .sig M(`T@#49O;VQE9"!Y;W4A(2$A#2`-(!H:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:D M&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:2
jkubicky@tybalt.caltech.edu (Joseph J. Kubicky) (01/27/91)
From: jkubicky@tybalt.caltech.edu (Joseph J. Kubicky) atz@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (Jeff) writes: >The impression I got is that it is no more than a sophisticated >remote controlled device. Instead of the person on the ground >controlling it, the ground computers do that, and guides it to the >blip on the radar screen. The Patriot is a very sophisticated remote controlled device. The other day in E&M, our prof passed out an article from _Microwave Journal_ (May 1988) about the Patriot. It's a phased-array system, meaning no moving parts (spherical radar waves emitted from the feed horn are focussed into a plane wave and steered via ferrite phase shifters). There are at least three pieces to the system: the Radar Set, which transmits and focuses the radar signals, the Engagement Control Station, where the operators sit and work things from, and one or more Launching Stations, which fire the missles. When a missle is launched, the radar provides it with guidance commands and tracks it. When it nears the target, the radar transmits TVM (target-via-missle) illumination pulses to the target. The reflected pulses are received by the missle and transmitted back to the radar's TVM antenna. TVM pulse data is then processed to accurately guide the missle in the final portion of flight. The computers in the ground station perform very sophisticated signal processing and guidance functions. For more info, look up the article. Jay Kubicky