Evaluation of the Multipurpose Foliage Penetration Radar (M-FOPEN) in Hawaii
Abstract:
The report describes the implementation, procedure, and results of the Multipurpose Foliage Penetration Radar M-FOPEN conducted by the 25th Infantry Division. Maximum ranges of detection were determined for the M-FOPEN operating in various types of terrain and foliage, and probability of detection calculated for each range, target, and foliage combination. These tests demonstrated the capability of the M-FOPEN to penetrate up to 700 meters of foliage and detect moving targets, with a negligible false alarm rate. A tactical exercise was conducted during which the M-FOPEN and the standard AN PPS-5 Ground Surveillance Radars were deployed and the detection performance and false alarm rates of each compared. Detection experiments were performed with the M-FOPEN using a helicopter AH-1G as the target to determine the doppler signature of the aircraft. These demonstrated that a unique doppler signature does exist for helicopters and the helicopters are detectable using the M-FOPEN even though the path between the radar and the aircraft is blocked by foliage.