Introduction to Radar Systems
Since the publication of the second edition of "Introduction to Radar Systems," there has been continual development of new radar capabilities and continual improvements to the technology and practice of radar. This growth has necessitated the addition and updating of the following topics for the third edition: digital technology, automatic detection and tracking, doppler technology, airborne radar, and target recognition. The topic coverage is one of the great strengths of the text. In addition to a thorough revision of topics, and deletion of obsolete material, the author has added end-of-chapter problems to enhance the "teachability" of this classic book in the classroom, as well as for self-study for practicing engineers.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a single, authoritative introduction to how radar systems work end-to-end — from the range equation and RCS to Doppler processing, detection theory, and practical system design. It balances physical principles, signal processing concepts, and system-level considerations so you can connect DSP algorithms to real radar requirements.
Who Will Benefit
Graduate students, practicing radar engineers, and DSP/communications engineers who need a systems-level grounding in radar principles and the signal-processing techniques used for detection, Doppler/MTI, and tracking.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Undergraduate calculus and linear systems, basic signals & systems (Fourier/DTFT), and elementary probability and statistics; some familiarity with electromagnetics or antennas is helpful but not strictly required.
Key Takeaways
- Explain fundamental radar concepts and apply the radar range equation and radar cross section (RCS) in system calculations.
- Analyze Doppler effects and implement and understand MTI and pulse-Doppler processing strategies.
- Apply detection and estimation theory (including SNR concepts, CFAR, and Neyman-Pearson ideas) to radar signal processing problems.
- Design and evaluate pulse and waveform techniques including pulse compression and CW/FMCW modes.
- Understand antenna, propagation, clutter, and ECM/ESM issues and their impact on signal processing choices.
- Describe tracking techniques and system-level tradeoffs for airborne and ground-based radar applications.
Topics Covered
- Introduction and history of radar
- Radar range equation and basic performance
- Radar cross section and target characteristics
- Propagation, clutter, and noise
- CW and FM/CW radar
- Pulsed radar waveforms and pulse compression
- Receivers, noise, and system losses
- Antenna systems and beamforming basics
- Doppler processing, MTI, and pulse-Doppler techniques
- Detection and estimation theory (SNR, CFAR, hypothesis testing)
- Tracking and data association
- Airborne radar, target recognition, and electronic countermeasures
- System design examples and problems
How It Compares
Skolnik provides a broader, system-level overview compared with Mark Richards' Fundamentals of Radar Signal Processing, which is more focused on modern DSP algorithms; for exhaustive reference material, Skolnik's Radar Handbook (and later editions) and Richards are good complementary reads.
