On the techniques for solving the problems of high-frequency wave field propagation in the inhomogeneous ionosphere with local variations of electron density

The paper presents a review of the analytical techniques for treating various effects of the high-frequency wave field propagation in the inhomogeneous ionosphere with local variations of the electron density, and the results of their numerical modelling based on the approaches, developed by the authors. The background ionosphere is considered to be inhomogeneous and isotropic, and the effects of the Earth's magnetic field are solely present by the anisotropic shape of the local variations of the electron density of the ionosphere. Some of the effects of local inhomogeneities are considered in the deterministic statement, others require stochastic treatment. The problems of propagation in the HF ionospheric reflection channel and higher frequency propagation in the transionospheric stochastic channel are discussed. The consideration is confined by the case of forward scattering approximation.