FIRE-CONTROL RADAR

FIRE-CONTROL RADAR Radar that provides continuous positional data is called a tracking radar. Most tracking radar systems used by the military are also called fire-control Track Phase: The fire-control radar enters into the track phase when the target is located. The radar system locks onto the target during this phase. radars, the two names being interchangeable. A fire- Typical fire-control radar characteristics include control tracking radar system usually produces a very high pulse-repetition frequency, a very narrow pulse- narrow, circular beam. width, and a very narrow beamwidth. A typical fire- control antenna is shown in figure 1-6. The three sequential phases of radar operation (designation, acquisition, and track) are often referred to as modes and are common to the target-processing sequence of most fire-control radars. Designation Phase: The fire-control radar must be directed to the general location of the target due to the radar’s narrow beamwidth. Acquisition Phase: The fire-control radar switches to the acquisition phase of operation once the radar is in the general vicinity of the target. During this phase, the radar system searches in the designated area in a predeter- mined search pattern until the target is located or redesignated. 1-10 Figure 1-6.—Typical fire-control antenna.