The Boeing Company

Walter E Buehler

Clarence D Lunden

Kosal Svy

Michael J Lewis

George W Fitzsimmons

Roger M Whitson

David Lunden

A radar jamming signal generated by equipment carried by a target aircraft, is launched onto the leading end of a towed single wire transmission line so as to travel the length of the line as a nonradiating surface wave. A drogue radiator is attached to the trailing end of the line for radiating the jamming signal transversely of the towed line so as to be received by and cause jamming of tracking and/or fire control radar. The length of the single wire transmission line is selected so that the trailing radiator causes the jamming signal to emanate from a position sufficiently behind the aircraft so as to be outside the destructive radius of weapon fire directed at the apparent source of the jamming signal by fire control radar. A ventriloqual-like deception of the radar is thus achieved. A wave launcher couples the jamming signal to the leading end of the transmission line and for this purpose includes an electrically conducted horn-shaped structure, a tunable coaxial feed end at the constricted end of the horn structure, an inner transition conductor connecting the inner conductor of the coaxial feed to a leading end of the single wire transmission line, and a plurality of annular dielectric lenses and dielectric guides cooperatively shaped and fitted to the horn structure in a manner that effectively matches the bounded electromagnetic transmission wave characteristics of the coaxial feed cable with the surface wave transmission characteristics of the single wire transmission line. Coacting with the ventriloqual-like radiation of the jamming signal from the trailing end of the transmission line is an anti-integration network that hides the return radar signal reflected off the target aircraft in a signal energy 'hole' created for such purpose in a secondary low level noise signal transmitted directly from the aircraft.

Airborne radar jamming system

A radar jamming signal generated by equipment carried by a target aircraft, is launched onto the leading end of a towed single wire transmission line so as to travel the length of the line as a nonradiating surface wave. A drogue radiator is attached to the trailing end of the line for radiating the jamming signal transversely of the towed line so as to be received by and cause jamming of tracking and/or fire control radar. The length of the single wire transmission line is selected so that the trailing radiator causes the jamming signal to emanate from a position sufficiently behind the aircraft so as to be outside the destructive radius of weapon fire directed at the apparent source of the jamming signal by fire control radar. A ventriloqual-like deception of the radar is thus achieved. A wave launcher couples the jamming signal to the leading end of the transmission line and for this purpose includes an electrically conducted horn-shaped structure, a tunable coaxial feed end at the constricted end of the horn structure, an inner transition conductor connecting the inner conductor of the coaxial feed to a leading end of the single wire transmission line, and a plurality of annular dielectric lenses and dielectric guides cooperatively shaped and fitted to the horn structure in a manner that effectively matches the bounded electromagnetic transmission wave characteristics of the coaxial feed cable with the surface wave transmission characteristics of the single wire transmission line.

Ventriloqual jamming using a towed transmission line

The invention is a radar decoy which electronically simulates objects by generating radar detectable signals over the entire microwave frequency range. The simulator includes a series of tuned, spaced diode networks for generating carrier suppressed doppler side bands. Each diode network operates at a single, different frequency. The diode networks are enclosed by a corner reflector which modulates the amplitude and the phase of an impinging radar signal. The diode networks are controlled by a switching network which turns the diodes on and off at a desire frequency to produce a doppler frequency shift and thereby simulate moving objects.

Broadband passive moving target simulator

A bi-static radar system with an autonulling feature. The system may be used to detect clear air turbulence, for example, in the vicinity of the airports, or to provide an electronic fence for moving air-borne targets having low radar cross sections. The receiver comprises signal and nulling antennas, and the signal received by the nulling antenna is electronically adjusted in phase and amplitude to provide autonulling of the background signal received directly from the transmitter.

Air turbulence detection using bi-static CW Doppler radar

An antenna, suitable for being deployed from an aircraft or other vehicle and characterized by broadband, omnidirectional radiation/reception is provided by a coaxial transmission feed line that is terminated by an electrically conductive ball that is electrically and mechanically connected to an extension of the center conductor of the coaxial line, and by a telescopically adjustable sleeve choke having the end adjacent the ball conductor, electrically bonded to the outer conductor of the coaxial line. The choke is adjusted in length to form a matched counterpoise to the ball radiator. The diameter of the ball, the gap length corresponding to the length of the inner conductor between the ball and the terminus of the outer conductor of the line, as well as the length of the sleeve choke, are selected so that the diameter of the ball is greater than one-quarter of the midband wavelength and less than five eighths of the midband wavelength, the gap length between the ball radiator and the terminus of the outer coaxial conductor is less than one-eighth of the midband wavelength, and the choke length is approximately equal to the midband wavelength.

Aircraft trailing ball antenna

A feed horn mounted within a streamlined enclosure upon the top surface of a wing of an aircraft at an outwardly-spaced location to direct electromagnetic wave energy toward the face surface of a dielectric slim lens having a metallic reflector between the lens and the fuselage of the aircraft to effect a double-traversal of the incident wave energy. The metallic reflector is planar or parabolic to trim the aerodynamic cross section. When the metal skin of the fuselage is used as the reflector, the dielectric constant of the lens is modified by varying its thickness to produce a very sharp beam by compensating for the curvature of the fuselage at the lens support site.

High resolution side-looking airborne radar antenna

In an instrument landing system (ILS), an aircraft is provided with apparatus for receiving from a ground-based transmitter overlapped modulated beam signals, which, when processed by the receiver, provide information about the position of the aircraft relative to a desired navigation course. Provided in the aircraft receiver apparatus is an antenna for receiving the transmitted beam signal, and an RF amplifer for amplifying the received signals. The received signal energy is divided between two recovery lines, each recovery line being routed near a separate series of ring filters, with the ring filters adjacent one recovery line substantially eliminating the signal energy in that line associated with one of the beams, and the ring filters adjacent the other recovery line substantially eliminating the signal energy in that line associated with the other beam. The remaining signals in each recovery line are then detected and applied through follow-on amplifying and filtering circuits to visual indicators for display of ILS information.

Growing community of inventors

Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Walter E Buehler