Radar cross-section

Radar cross-section (RCS) measures how strongly an object scatters radar energy back toward a receiver. It depends on the object’s shape, material, orientation, frequency, and the geometry of illumination and observation.

Radar scattering: The redirection of electromagnetic waves by objects, surfaces, or particles. RCS quantifies the portion of scattered energy returned toward a radar.
Radar: A system that transmits radio waves and uses returned signals to detect or measure objects. RCS describes one target property that governs the strength of radar returns.
Radar detection: The determination that a radar return corresponds to a target rather than noise or clutter. RCS helps determine whether a target’s echo is strong enough to detect.
Geometric cross-section: The projected physical area of an object viewed from a specified direction. RCS can be far larger or smaller than an object’s projected geometric area.
Radar equation: A relation connecting transmitted power, antenna properties, target RCS, range, and received radar power. It shows how RCS affects the strength of a received echo.
Wavelength: The distance between successive corresponding points of a wave, such as adjacent crests. Target dimensions relative to wavelength strongly affect scattering behavior.
Stealth technology: Design methods that reduce the detectability of vehicles by radar and other sensors. Reducing radar cross-section is a central aim of radar stealth.
Lidar cross-section: A measure of how strongly an object scatters laser light back toward a lidar receiver. It is the optical-wavelength analogue of radar cross-section, with different scattering behavior.
Electromagnetic scattering: The interaction in which electromagnetic waves are redirected by matter. RCS is a radar-specific measure of this broader wave-scattering process.
Polarization: The orientation and time variation of an electromagnetic wave’s electric field. RCS can change when transmit and receive polarization change.

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