Radar detectors signalling speeding motorists of police presence are about to get a run for their money as the Army is developing an innovative radar technology that could someday be common practice for users wanting to mask their radar emissions.
Over the past several years, the threat of being compromised has become an increasing issue for Soldiers in the field. The need to preserve radar system performance while operating in both a contested (adversarial attack) and congested (high traffic) radio frequency environment has presented a significant challenge to radar system designers. These challenges led the U.S. Army Materiel Command's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, to research and develop a tunable, noise-encrypted radar waveform referred to as Advanced Pulse Compression Noise, or APCN.
Techniques such as real-time re-programmable waveform synthesis and low probability of intercept/low probability of detection (LPI/LPD) provide added capability that will address the emerging electromagnetic spectrum challenges that soldiers are likely to face in the future. The APCN waveform embodies select aspects from both traditional and non-traditional radar waveforms, and can be programmed in real-time to allow the system user (the Soldier) to optimize radar performance based on the particular scenario.
This secure waveform could be used not just by Soldiers but civilian law enforcement agencies as well. It's totally conceivable to consider this type of technology as an alternative to what's currently used with some of the more critical communication networks like GPS and emergency broadcasting. Another benefit of the APCN waveform is its inherent robustness to frequency congestion. CERDEC researchers have investigated this aspect, and theorize that a follow-on approach called 'cognitive radar waveform diversity' could further minimize challenges with interference.
For example, Soldiers using a programmable waveform like APCN, could someday rely on the system's ability to dynamically adapt and diversify its radar emissions while operating in heavy congestion. Currently, this process is done manually, but researchers are looking for it to one day be done autonomously.
CERDEC worked with the Army Research Laboratory to build an experimental demonstrator that served as the radar system for the APCN waveform. Researchers modified the existing waveform and interfaced with the system using custom-designed control software. The experimental system was successfully demonstrated at APG in 2012. Researchers are currently working to conduct additional experiments with advanced radar waveforms.
