Modeling and Simulation Architecture for Studying Doppler-Based Radar with Complex Environments

This research effort develops a hybrid large-scale modeling and simulation framework that defines the requirements for a program to evaluate radar-aircraft-turbine-clutter interactions. Wind turbines and other moving structures can interfere with a radar's ability to detect moving aircraft because radar returns from turbines are comparable to those from slow flying aircraft. This interference can lead to aircraft collisions or crashes, reducing the safety for air traffic. Two radar applications, INSSITE and IMOM, were investigated to determine which of the subsystems, in the proposed architecture, are currently available and which need additional development. Current radar applications either delve too deep into details, requiring years to process, or too shallow, ignoring the Doppler effect and assuming a static scattering value. Engineering-level radar, radiation, propagation, and scattering models are already developed. However, engagement-level stochastic scattering, amplitude and phase, data aren't available. The hybrid modeling and simulation architecture could be realized once stochastic RCS models are developed.