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Cutting through the radar clutter.(INSIDE SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY)
- Article from:
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National Defense
- Article date:
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June 1, 2008
- Author:
- Jean, Grace V.
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Defense Industrial Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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* The same technology that allows fighter pilots to detect enemy planes in the skies may one day help ground troops peer around buildings in cities to track down insurgents.
At least, that is what scientists are hoping as they progress on research to make radar more effective in urban environments.
Radar detects objects by sending radio frequency waves out into an area. How long the signal takes to bounce off those objects and return to the emitting source indicates their speed and distance.
Such a system is effective in the skies, where there are few obstructions. But on the ground, and especially in the middle of a city, the signals encounter many obstacles that ...