Using a second-order bistatic cross-section of the ocean surface for bistatic shipborne HFSWR

The second-order radar cross section (RCS) of ocean surface is analytically derived for the case in which the radar transmitter is located inland and the receiving antenna is mounted on a shipborne platform. With our previously derived first-order RCS result, the total RCS of ocean surface is simulated for a variety of radar operating parameters and sea states. According to simulation results, it is seen that the relative effect on the second-order spectra due to the platform motion is much smaller than that on the first-order. For the conditions of the radar working with a high operating frequency or a high sea state, the increase of the second-order spectral energy may contaminate the first-order component severely. The obtained results may be useful for setting appropriate limits on the use of radar operating parameters or the bistatic site geometries, from which condition the ocean surface parameters can be effectively extracted from the radar data.