Interlaboratory comparisons of radar cross section measurements by the “GTi”, criteria suggestions

A comparison of Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurement results between several French measurement indoor facilities has been organized in the framework of a French Working Group (Groupe de Travail sur les incertitudes en chambre anéchoïque: GTi), dealing with measurement uncertainties in anechoic chamber. The GTi involves 22 laboratories that are either industrial or academic research ones, or laboratories depending on public organisms. Three tasks have been defined: 1/ State of the art, 2/ Comparisons of RCS measurements, 3/ Comparisons of Antenna Measurements. This paper deals with the second task, in which 8 laboratories are engaged. The motivations and the tasks are described in this paper and results will be presented at the conference. Comparison criteria will also be proposed.

I. Introduction

In 2010, the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) and the GdR Ondes (French research network about waves) initiated an inventory of French anechoic chambers, designed for Antenna measurements and/or Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements. No less than 49 facilities were identified and described [1]. Common research topics were also exhibited among which measurement uncertainties. Finally, the GdR Ondes has created a Working Group, piloted by the CNRS and the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) which first aim was to organize a national interlaboratory comparison of RCS measurements inspired by the European framework ACE on antennas [2] and to the work conducted in the frame of National RCS Measurement Facility Certification Program (see [3] for example). The nine laboratories listed in the author affiliation joined this group.