Polarimetric phased array radar system and method for operating thereof

A polarimetric phase array radar system for determination of at least one target parameter selected from a target range, a target elevation angle and a target azimuth angle, comprising:

• an array comprising a plurality of transceiver elements, each transceiver element being configured to transmit radar transmitting signal components of a dual-polarization radar signal having either a single type polarization or simultaneously two types of polarization and to receive a radar receiving signal component having a single type of polarization;
• wherein
• in transmitting mode, said plurality of transceiver elements are operative to transmit a radar signal component having at least one type of polarization;
• and
• in receiving mode, for processing radar signal components, said plurality of transceiver elements of the array are divided into four sub-arrays arranged in four quadrant parts of the array selected from:
• an upper left quadrant part, an upper right quadrant part, a lower left quadrant part and a lower right quadrant part of the array;
• each sub-array comprises a first portion of the transceiver elements and a corresponding second portion of the transceiver elements operating with a first type of polarization and a second type of polarization, correspondingly;
• for each sub-array, the first portion of the transceiver elements and second portion of the transceiver elements have phase centers located in the corresponding quadrant part, and
• each sub-array is operative
• to receive a radar signal component having the first type polarization by the first portion of the transceiver elements having a first predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization and depending at least on one characteristic selected from a total number of the transceiver elements, an operating frequency and said at least one target parameter, and simultaneously
• to receive a radar signal component having the second type polarization by the second portion of the transceiver elements having a second predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization and depending at least on one characteristic selected from the total number of the transceiver elements, the operating frequency and said at least one target parameter;
• and
• a signal processing system coupled to the transceiver elements, and configured for processing radar receiving signal components having a single type of polarization by using a monopulse radar technique, and generating said at least one target parameter.

A method of operating a polarimetric phase array radar system for determination of at least one target parameter selected from a target elevation angle and a target azimuth angle, comprising:

• providing an array comprising a plurality of transceiver elements, each transceiver element is configured to transmit radar signal components of a dual-polarization radar signal having either a single type polarization or simultaneously two types of polarization and to receive a radar signal component having a single type of polarization;
• wherein in the transmitting mode, operating said plurality of transceiver elements to transmit a radar signal component having at least one type of polarization;
• and
• wherein in the receiving mode, selecting two sub-arrays from said array of the plurality of transceiver elements, said two sub-arrays being arranged in two half parts of the array in two ways selected from:
• (i) a right half part and a left half part for determination of the target azimuth angle, and
• (ii) an upper half part and a lower half part for determination of the target elevation angle;
• each sub-array comprising a first portion of the transceiver elements operating with a first type of polarization and a corresponding second portion of the transceiver elements operating with a second type of polarization;
• for each sub-array,
• providing a first predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization to the first portion of the transceiver elements and a second predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization to the second portion of the transceiver elements;
• the first and second predetermined dynamic distributions depending at least on one characteristic selected from a total number transceiver elements, an operating frequency and said at least one parameter of the target;
• receiving a radar signal component having one type of polarization by a first portion of the transceiver elements and simultaneously receiving a radar signal component having the second type of polarization by a second portion of the transceiver elements;
• and
• calculating said at least one parameter of the target by using a radar interferometric technique.

A method of operating a polarimetric phase array radar system for determination of at least one target parameter, comprising:

• providing an array comprising a plurality of transceiver elements, each transceiver element is configured to transmit radar signal components of a dual-polarization radar signal having either a single type polarization or simultaneously two types of polarization and to receive a radar signal component having a single type of polarization;
• wherein in the transmitting mode, operating said plurality of transceiver elements to transmit a radar signal component having at least one type of polarization;
• and
• wherein in the receiving mode, dividing the array of said plurality of transceiver elements into four sub-arrays arranged in four quadrant parts of the array selected from:
• an upper left quadrant part, an upper right quadrant part, a lower left quadrant part and a lower right quadrant part of the array;
• each sub-array comprises a first portion of the transceiver elements and a corresponding second portion of the transceiver elements operating with a first type of polarization and a second type of polarization, correspondingly;\
• for each sub-array,
• providing a first predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization to the first portion of the transceiver elements and a second predetermined dynamic distribution adapted for optimization to the second portion of the transceiver elements;
• the first and second predetermined dynamic distributions depending at least on one characteristic selected from a total number transceiver elements, an operating frequency and said at least one parameter of the target;
• receiving a radar signal component having one type of polarization by a first portion of the transceiver elements and simultaneously receiving a radar signal component having the second type of polarization by a second portion of the transceiver elements;
• and
• calculating said at least one parameter of the target by using a monopulse tracking technique.