PROJECT TITLE :

Field evaluation of a photonics-based radar system in a maritime environment compared to a reference commercial sensor

ABSTRACT:

This study shows the experimental validation of the first photonics-based mostly radar system demonstrator during a real maritime surroundings. The radar system demonstrator exploits photonic technologies for each the generation and also the detection of the RF radar signals, and it has been previously proved permitting increased performance and unprecedented potential flexibility. Here, the photonics-primarily based radar is compared with a business system for maritime applications provided by 'GEM elettronica'. The analysis has checked the performance of the photonics-based mostly system in terms of transmitted signal integrity and receiver pre- and post-detection capability, by means that of ad-hoc laboratory tests and an on-field direct comparison, run into the operative situation of the port of San Benedetto del Tronto (Italy), by observing non-cooperative targets. The reported results show that the photonics-based mostly radar system, although at a demonstrator stage, proves comparable performance with the commercial radar used as reference. Beyond the particular implementation of the proposed system, the outcomes of this comparison confirm that the photonics-based approach will lead new advances in radar architecture, by the development of a fully frequency and waveform agility, application-clear photonic transceiver.