Radar jamming and deception
Introduction
Radar jamming and deception is a field of electronic warfare that involves the use of various techniques to interfere with the operation of radar systems. These techniques can be broadly classified into two categories: jamming and deception. Jamming involves the use of electronic signals to disrupt or confuse radar, while deception involves the use of tactics to mislead radar operators about the true nature or location of an object. This article will delve into the technical aspects of these techniques, their history, and their applications in both military and civilian contexts.
Radar Jamming
Radar jamming is the deliberate emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information. There are two main types of radar jamming: mechanical and electronic.
Mechanical Jamming
Mechanical jamming involves the use of physical objects to disrupt radar signals. This can include the deployment of chaff, which are small pieces of reflective material (often aluminum or metallized glass fibers) that are dispersed in the air to create a cloud of false targets Chaff. Another form of mechanical jamming is the use of decoys, which are devices that mimic the radar signatures of real targets Decoy.
Electronic Jamming
Electronic jamming, on the other hand, involves the use of electronic signals to interfere with radar. This can be done in several ways. One common method is noise jamming, where the jammer emits a signal on the same frequency as the radar, effectively drowning out the radar's own signal. Another method is repeater jamming, where the jammer captures the radar signal and retransmits it, causing confusion and delay in the radar system Electronic Warfare.
Radar Deception
Radar deception involves tactics designed to mislead radar operators about the true nature or location of a target. This can involve the use of decoys, as mentioned above, or more sophisticated techniques such as spoofing or meaconing.
Spoofing
Spoofing involves the creation of false radar signals to mislead radar operators. This can be done by generating a signal that mimics the radar signature of a real target, or by altering the radar's data processing in some way. For example, a spoofing device might generate a signal that appears to be a large aircraft, when in reality there is no aircraft there at all Radar Spoofing.
Meaconing
Meaconing involves the interception and rebroadcast of navigation signals. The rebroadcast signals are usually altered in some way to mislead the receivers about their true location or direction. This can be particularly effective against systems that rely on time-of-flight measurements for navigation, such as GPS Meaconing.
Applications
Radar jamming and deception techniques have a wide range of applications, both in military and civilian contexts. In the military, these techniques are often used to protect aircraft, ships, and ground forces from enemy radar detection and targeting. Civilian applications can include the protection of commercial aircraft from terrorist threats, or the use of jamming and deception techniques in law enforcement or security operations.