Radar cross section (RCS) is best described as...

Radar cross section (RCS) is best described as...

• A. A measure of how detectable an object is by radar due to energy reflected back to the radar
• B. A measure of the target's velocity
• C. The distance to the target
• D. The power of the radar transmitter

Answer: (A)

Radar cross section describes how detectable an object is by radar by quantifying the backscattered energy as an equivalent area. It tells you how much power the radar would receive from the target if the target behaved like a perfectly reflecting surface with that effective area. RCS depends on frequency (wavelength), the object's size, shape, materials, and how the object is oriented relative to the radar; it can vary a lot with viewing angle, so the same object can be easy to detect from one direction and nearly invisible from another. It is not a direct measure of how fast the target is moving, how far away it is, or how powerful the radar transmitter is—those relate to velocity (Doppler), range, and transmitted power, respectively.

Radar cross section describes how detectable an object is by radar by quantifying the backscattered energy as an equivalent area. It tells you how much power the radar would receive from the target if the target behaved like a perfectly reflecting surface with that effective area. RCS depends on frequency (wavelength), the object's size, shape, materials, and how the object is oriented relative to the radar; it can vary a lot with viewing angle, so the same object can be easy to detect from one direction and nearly invisible from another. It is not a direct measure of how fast the target is moving, how far away it is, or how powerful the radar transmitter is—those relate to velocity (Doppler), range, and transmitted power, respectively.