Advanced Monostatic and Bistatic Azimuth Estimation Techniques
SBIR FY03.2 Topic A03-092
Department of Defense (DoD)/ARMY - Communications Electronics Command (CECOM)

The entire solicitation may be viewed at http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir032/index.htm

A03-092 TITLE: Advanced Monostatic and Bistatic Azimuth Estimation Techniques

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IEWS PM SW

OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate monostatic, bistatic, and multilateration angle estimation techniques for Ultra High Frequency (UHF)Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radar.

DESCRIPTION: The Army is interested in developing a low frequency (UHF Band) GMTI radar to be flown on a rotary wing air vehicle. Current monostatic and bistatic techniques produce relatively large azimuthal error ellipses due to limited available aperture. This large error prohibits accurate targeting from being achieved and causes inaccurate tracks to be established. Future weapons systems will not perform as intended with these shortcomings.

The focus of this effort is to develop improved angle estimating techniques to be implemented in any GMTI system or aggregate of systems that requires improved azimuthal accuracies. It is the goal of this effort to determine the optimal balance between the size of the antenna and the number of phase centers, and also to develop an optimal angle estimation algorithm. Issues to be addressed include a clear delineation of the trade-offs available in Direction Finding(DF) accuracy vice antenna and algorithm complexity vice required processor hardware.
Foliage penetrating radar systems currently under development in the ARMY would greatly benefit from this work. One of the radar systems under development is a UHF GMTI system intended for use on a rotary wing platform. The nominal size, weight, power, cost and complexity of such a system should be considered as objectives in this algorithm development.

PHASE I: Investigate, analyze and present various innovative approaches to develop improved angle-estimating techniques for use in a UHF GMTI system. Compare predicted monostatic performance with current estimating techniques. Predict bistatic and/or multilateration system performance and compare to current techniques. Documentation and a description of the methods, assumptions, calculations and prototypes gathered and developed under this phase shall be submitted in a report. A proof-of-principle demonstration shall be provided.

PHASE II: Develop, test and demonstrate the angle estimation techniques/prototypes from Phase 1. In this phase, data will be collected using assets provided by the contractor that will demonstrate the utility and performance of the angle estimation algorithm in a suitable environment. The techniques should be fully documented to include all source code and documentation required to maintain/modify it and delivered to the government. A report shall explain the approach, implementation and results of the overall effort.

PHASE III: Angle estimating techniques should be of benefit to commercial applications such as air traffic control, law enforcement, coast guard patrols and homeland defense. All possible commercial uses shall be explored.

REFERENCES:
1) Skolnik, Merrill, Introduction to Radar Systems, McGraw-Hill Inc, New York, NY
2) Barton, David, Modern Radar Systems Analysis, Artech House, Norwood, MA,1998
3) Mathanson, Fred, Radar Design Principles, Scitech Publishing Inc., Mendham, NJ
4) Skolnik, Merrill, Radar Handbook, McGraw-Hill Inc, New York, NY

KEYWORDS: Monostatic, Bistatic, Angle estimation, Foliage Penetration, FOPEN, UHF,GMTI,FORESTER, FCS

Questions about SBIR and Solicitation Topics

TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT:

Shawn Mathews
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

2nd TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT:

Robert Luisi
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Between May 1 and June 30, 2003, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses are listed within each solicitation topic above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting July 1, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation. However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (03.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 03.2 topic under which they are proposing.