Analysis of Glint Phenomenon in a Monopulse Radar in the Presence of Skin Echo and Non-Ideal Interferometer Echo Signals

Abstract

Angle tracking noise in monopulse tracking radars has been an important study topic during the last decades. This phenomenon otherwise known as "Glint" is studied in present article assuming the presence of a non-perfect interferometer transponder placed on a target with a non-zero radar cross section. The effects of interferometer angle and amplitude balance and the target echo signal strength is analyzed theoretically and numerical results are computed and presented for a wide set of parameter values. The required power ratio of interferometer and echo signals to achieve significant angle noise is derived. Numerical results and analytical approximations of the angle noise are presented in the form of parametric curves.