Evaluation of a Meteorological Airborne Pulse Doppler Radar

An X-Band airborne radar has been modified to provide a Doppler radar capability. The Doppler radar has been tested to prove the system concept usable. Tests were conducted at Norman, Oklahoma, from May 30 to June 9 of 1978 and in Miami, Florida, on December 1 through December 5, 1979. Optimally the tests would have used meteorological targets for measurement of radial velocities, however, most tests had to be conducted with chaff and ground returns. The tests did show that the airborne Doppler radar will measure velocities that are comparable to those measured by a ground based Doppler radar and those that can be computed by a high accuracy inertial navigation system. The error in the measured radial velocities, when compared to other sensors, is much less than the estimated RMS error of 2 meters/second. (Author)