RCS Prediction Using Prony Method in High-Frequency Band for Military Aircraft Models

Abstract

Obtaining Radar Cross Section (RCS) data, one of the essential parameters for aircraft design, generally takes a lot of time and cost. Measurement time and accuracy of measurement results may be affected depending on the RCS measurement method and environment. When it comes to the RCS measurement method, the direct approach, which measures RCS on a real item, is more accurate than the indirect approach, which is implemented through simulation. However, in consideration of balancing accuracy, time and cost, the indirect approach is more generally used due to its efficiency. In this paper, in order to find an optimized method for more improved prediction results of indirect approach in the high-frequency band, three prediction methods are proposed: the Prony method, the Matrix pencil method (MPM) and the Rational Function method. It is confirmed that the RCS prediction result utilizing the Prony method in the high-frequency band has the minimum error in the case of Prony and MPM Methods, which have not been utilized for RCS prediction in the high-frequency band, and the Rational function method with currently applicable cases are employed. The prediction methods are, respectively, applied to a model based on three military aircraft models such as Jet Plane, F-117 and Transport Plane, and its simulation is performed under identical conditions. The original data and the extrapolated data obtained from the methods are compared at a certain angle for each model, and the errors between the extrapolated data are also compared in order to verify the efficacy of the prediction methods.