To reduce the ship’s remaining RCS, the water curtain can be "modulated" such that the returns appear as "Sea Clutter." This is done by determining the surrounding Sea State--either locally, or from satellite Sea State data, i.e., deriving the Sea Clutter Spectrum and applying the appropriate coefficients to the modulating process for optimum mimicry
Active Water Curtain Technology AWCT The Adaptive Water Curtain Technology (AWCT) is intended to deflect and scatter enemy radar waves thus reducing the ship’s radar cross section (RCS). It consists of highly conductive sea water sprayed in a fashion that effectively creates an angled radar reflective curtain around the ship. Water, especially sea water, is highly electrically conductive and if the water droplets are compact enough, RADAR waves will be reflected just as if the surface were metal. Also, streams of sea water will absorb as well scatter radar energy. The system is adaptive, that is, it monitors each ‘water stream landing zone,’ and by adjusting the appropriate nozzle/monitor/pump combination (including azimuth, elevation, water pressure, spread, modulation, pulsing, etc.), compensates for wind speed and direction - loading Active Windowing, Rapid Modulation of Pump Nozzles-
Creating Dynamic Openings in the Water Curtain Useful when synchronized with Radar and other Sensors. |
- Radar Evasion by Shaped Water Curtain- ----------Full Water Curtain----------------------------Stepped/Folded (Fresnel lens) | |
Arleigh Burke DDG-51 using some Shaped Water Curtains-
Active Water Curtain Technology-
Array of Powerful Water Pump outlets creating Water Curtain
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Illustration of Sea Clutter overlaid by Detection Threshold-
Targets Detected above the Clutter
Linear Nozzle Array- |
| -Omnidirectional Nozzle Array- | . | Linear Nozzle Array | Array shown with one section in up, or operational, position. The external "central feeder pipe" is an indication of the "add on" nature of the AWCT. | . | End View Diagram
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Array shown with one section in up, or operational, position. =============== +++====== +++=========== |