Re: Sensors

At 9:18 AM +0200 5/30/01, Derk Groeneveld wrote:
>
>Oh, by the way. SPY sure isn't the only phased array system anymore.
And I
>think there's interesting challenges for SPY out there, as far as
>capabilities go, as well ;)

I'll grant you that and then some.

>And yes, on most configurations search and tracking radar are seperate
>systems. All I'm saying is that actives don't have to be 'little pen
>lights'; that only applies to actual trackers.
>
>Also, I don't see a reason why a phased array couldn;t make a wider
>search-beam; just a matter of different phase shift parameters to your
>array on transmission.

>Yup. I'm just trying to remember whether there are other factors that
>would reduce mm radar performance, other than absorbtion.

Sounds like we need to take a walk over to sci.military.moderated....
>
>
>Okay; sound spretty much like what we do with phased arrays over here;
>even if that's a whole lot of small transmit/receive antenna's spaced
>not-all-that-far-apart.
>
> > This larger lens allows a better clarity of the object. Figure two
> > ships operating at a great distance 10-20 MU's communicating over
> > tight whisker beam to coordinate their efforts. They'd get a very
> > good idea of what's there.
>
>Does it allow for better 'clarity', or for more resolution at
>cross-angles? Mmm.If this works anything like phased array, though,
you'd
>need position info on your friendly ships, in the order of magnitude of
>your sensor wavelength, or is this not as sensitive to phase shifts?
>

It gives you in effect a much larger telescope. A larger telescope 
can resolve smaller objects more easily and with greater detail. By 
combining the data from the two widely spaced receivers you see more 
details. This has been done by Astronomers for years. Military folks 
are just now trying it against stealthy aircraft if I understand 
correctly. I think the real trick is that you need a lot of 
coordination. The internet was enough for the Astronomers to do it 
though.

>
>But tens of thousands of kilometres isn't very far, in space?

Not really. Not on the System wide scale. Remember, we're talking 
about ships that zip in and out of systems to the FTL points on the 
fringes (gotta get some distance between you and those gravity wells 
before you throw the switch for the TK drives.)

>
>Mmm. I'd allow it for actives, as well.. More complicated, but not
>impossible :)
>

Oh aye. Single actives, smaller passive dies but they can stack their
efforts.

>
>
>Isn't this degaussing against magnetic mines? If not, I've learnt
>something new again :)

Helps against magnetic mines, but I'll bet you the navy does it to 
the subs too. Probably helps reduce their magnetic signature. I 
suspect they won't even breathe about it though.

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- Ryan Montieth Gill		DoD# 0780 (Smug #1) / AMA / SOHC -
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