Radar System Tracks Test-Missile Stages

IN A RECENT DEMONSTRATION, the XSTAR instrumentation radar system successfully tracked both the launch and flight of a multi-stage test missile (see photo). This system, which is the brainchild of General Dynamics and STAR Dynamics, promises to track and collect test data on one or more fl ying objects. Such objects require time, space, and position measurements used for system test and evaluation.

For this particular demonstration, the XSTAR radar successfully tracked a test missile traveling more than 5000 mph through all three stages of deployment. The radar tracked and recorded the various stages of the missile’s launch: the separation of the first- and second-stage boosters, the deployment of the payload, and the separation of debris from the missile.

The XSTAR radar system’s design and software-based architecture incorporates commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. As a result, individual systems can be customized based on a user’s needs. They also can be cost effectively updated to accommodate evolving signal- processing technologies. For more information about the XSTAR radar system, visit www.gdc4s.com/Advanced-Radar-Systems.