Forward scatter radar

Forward scatter radar (FSR) is historically thought of as the first type of bistatic radar. Research on FSR has been predominantly focussed on its ability to serve as an electronic fence, and it has already proven the FSR's excellent detection and target motion parameter estimation capabilities. Recently, a wave of interest has emerged in FSR; first, this is a consequence of the introduction of `stealth' targets. These targets have a significantly reduced radar cross-section (RCS) because of their specific shapes and/or coatings which may greatly suppress backscattering, yet their shadows will still render them perfectly `visible' to FSR. Second, interest in FSR has appeared because of the establishment of passive coherent location concepts where illuminators of opportunity are used to form a bistatic radar network. This chapter provides an overview of FSR, theory and phenomenology and further discusses its capabilities and limitations.