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Electronic Warfare System

Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)

RADAR WARNING RECEIVER (RWR) WIDEBAND THREAT DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION SPIRALAntenna Wideband SPIRALAntenna Multiple sectors WIDEBPF Bank 2-18 GHz DETECTCrystal Video Det PULSEANALYZER Freq, PW, PRI AOA, Amplitude Scan pattern THREATLIBRARY Emitter ID Match params DISPLAYThreat ID, bearing priority lethal range CMResponse Chaff/Flare Jammer cue DIRECTION FINDINGAmplitude Comparison / Interferometry AOA FROM MULTIPLE ANTENNA SECTORS
Component Descriptions

Signal Chain Walkthrough

A Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) is a passive electronic warfare system that detects, identifies, and locates hostile radar emissions. It provides threat awareness to the aircrew or ship commander by analyzing intercepted radar signals and matching them against a known threat library.

Wideband Antennas

Spiral or cavity-backed spiral antennas provide coverage from 2-18 GHz (or wider). Multiple antennas cover different sectors (typically 4-8 around the platform) for 360° azimuth coverage.

Channelized Receiver

A bank of bandpass filters (or a digital channelizer) splits the wideband input into frequency sub-bands for simultaneous monitoring. Crystal video detectors provide fast pulse detection with wide dynamic range.

Pulse Descriptor Word (PDW)

For each detected pulse, the system measures: frequency, pulse width, time of arrival, amplitude, and angle of arrival. These parameters form the Pulse Descriptor Word used for emitter identification.

Threat Library

A database of known radar emitter parameters (frequency, PRF patterns, scan types) enables automatic identification. The library is regularly updated with new threat data.

Typical Specifications

Component Specifications

ComponentParameterTypical Value
FrequencyCoverage2 - 18 GHz (typical)
SensitivityMDS-55 to -65 dBm
Dynamic RangeInstantaneous50 - 70 dB
DF AccuracyAOA2° - 10° RMS
Pulse WidthMeasurable Range50 ns - 100 μs
Threat LibraryEntries500 - 5000 emitters
Design Note: Modern RWRs increasingly use digital receivers (wideband ADCs + FPGA channelizers) instead of analog crystal video detectors. Digital approaches enable better frequency measurement, simultaneous signal processing, and adaptive filtering of dense signal environments. The probability of intercept (POI) depends on the receiver bandwidth, scan rate, and the threat radar scan pattern.
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