Agile antenna taper based on weather radar feedback

A system for discriminating a ground clutter return from a weather return, comprising:

• a weather radar onboard an aircraft, the weather radar including an electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna, the weather radar configured for reception of a weather radar data, the ESA having a plurality of elements;
• a weather communication interface configured for receiving the weather radar data and configuring the weather radar data for recognition by an operator of the aircraft;
• a controller operatively coupled with each of the ESA and the weather radar;
• a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to:
• receive the weather radar data;
• identify at least one ground clutter return within the received weather radar data based on at least one characteristic of the weather radar data associated with the at least one ground clutter return;
• determine a location relative to the aircraft of the at least one ground clutter return based on the identification, the location including a bearing and range of the at least one ground clutter return;
• command the ESA to adaptively adjust each of:
• an amplitude and a phase of at least one element of the plurality of elements to manipulate 1) a far field radiation pattern and 2) at least one side lobe associated with the ESA, the adaptive adjustment creates at least one null associated with the location relative to the aircraft of the at least one ground clutter return, the adaptive adjustment maintains a signal to noise ratio (SNR) sensitivity of the weather radar to receive at least one weather return, the adaptive adjustment a dynamic non-uniform amplitude and phase illumination of each element of the plurality of elements;
• receive the at least one weather return;
• and
• display the at least one weather return to the operator of the aircraft.