PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATION CAPABILITIES OF COASTAL-BASED RADAR STATIONS FOR SURVEILLANCE OF SURFACE AND AIR OBJECTS

Sea-based radar stations (RS) are widely used for solving the tasks of radar surveillance of surface objects (SO) and air objects (AO). The subject of the article is the mechanisms of radio wave propagation in the boundary layer of the atmosphere. The aim is to investigate the possibilities of improving the accuracy of measuring the range and radial velocity of SO and AO observed beyond the line-of-sight of coastal-based RS. Objective: to analyse the spatial and temporal parameters and properties of waveguide layers above the water surface. Methods used: maximum likelihood and frequency. The following results were obtained. The results of experimental studies of seasonal and daily changes in the parameters of the lower troposphere layer in the Black Sea coastal zone and the parameters of tropospheric radio waveguides are presented. The procedure for calculating the energy transmission losses during radio wave propagation in the boundary layer of the atmosphere is presented, and the conditions for detecting SO and AO beyond the radar line-of-sight are determined. Recommendations for increasing the range of detection of SO and AO are given, which are associated with the possibility of predicting the existence of tropospheric radio waveguides by using data on the current conditions of radio wave propagation over the sea based on the signals of the automatic ship identification system AIS. Conclusions. Proposals have been developed to improve the accuracy of measuring the range and radial velocity of SO and AO at waveguide propagation of radio waves over the sea surface. A promising area for further research may be to identify ways to optimise the measurement of angular coordinates in modern RS during waveguide propagation of radio waves over the sea surface.