Considerations Pertinent to Propagation Prediction Methods Applied to Airborne Microwave Equipments,
Abstract
Current coverage diagrams for certain airborne microwave equipments are of the greatest interest to their operators; these equipments include radars, navigation aids, communications, countermeasures sets and command links. A corresponding interest in current coverage resides with operators of similar surface equipments that deal with airborne targets. These coverage diagrams are affected, of course, by large-scale atmospheric refraction and super-refraction. Techniques of operational use of sounding the meteorological and radioelectrical characteristics of the troposphere are reviewed briefly together with coverage prediction methods. It is concluded that there is an unreasonable reliance on horizontal homogeneity in the current prediction techniques coupled with inadequate lateral spatial sampling of the tropospheric structure. It is argued that work should be directed towards devising sounding techniques of lower operating costs, though with sufficient accuracy, so that the spatial sampling is adequate. And, further, that computer prediction methods should be extended to accommodate multiple spatial samples and interpolate the tropospheric structure between sampling locations. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADP003906
Entities
People
- T. Almond
Organizations
- Royal Signals and Radar Establishment