IEEE Standard 1502-2020: IEEE Recommended Practice for Radar Cross-Section Test Procedures [Stand on Standards]

The measurement of radar crosssection (RCS) became very important in the 1960s, and many RCS test ranges were designed and built between 1960 and 1995. These test ranges and their procedures for testing, calibration, and usage typically were different because they reflected the visions of the scientists and engineers who designed them. In fact, performing RCS measurements is oftentimes as much of an art as it is a science. Moreover, the requisite measurement process is necessitated by the measurement facility, the target size, the frequency range, and the desired measurement fidelity. Consequently, the practices adopted by one facility are often not entirely transferrable to another. The objective of IEEE Standard 1502 is to standardize these practices as much as possible by providing a standard of practice across the RCS measurement community (test range operators, managers, data processors). To that end, this standard incorporates the common practices of experts in the field.