Is Multipath modeled in sensors?

[wizard1073]

Being a radar guy, I am painfully aware of the problems that multipath causes to detections and especially to firm track range. Is this modeled in any way in CMANO?

I seem to recall reading that you use the radar range equation to estimate detectability. Multipath is simply the F^4 in the numerator (when ignoring atmospheric refraction), and there are simple equations for calculating this. "More calculations" may not be what you want in a time-bound simulation, so I understand if this has been left out for those reasons.

[wizard1073]

A similar question has to do with sensor resolution and accuracy: is the Target Location Error modeled sufficiently to prevent high precision weapons from being fired using low precision data? I know about the "pessimistic/optimistic" setting, which would seem to be aimed at the TLE problem.

[Dimitris]

ORIGINAL: wizard1073
A similar question has to do with sensor resolution and accuracy: is the Target Location Error modeled sufficiently to prevent high precision weapons from being fired using low precision data? I know about the "pessimistic/optimistic" setting, which would seem to be aimed at the TLE problem.

Yes. For example in a SAM battery with separate VSR and tracking/fire-control radars (e.g. SA-2/3/5) the VSR radar may get a track but until the FC radar is able to detect no weapons can be launched.

[Dimitris]

ORIGINAL: wizard1073
Being a radar guy, I am painfully aware of the problems that multipath causes to detections and especially to firm track range. Is this modeled in any way in CMANO?

I seem to recall reading that you use the radar range equation to estimate detectability. Multipath is simply the F^4 in the numerator (when ignoring atmospheric refraction), and there are simple equations for calculating this. "More calculations" may not be what you want in a time-bound simulation, so I understand if this has been left out for those reasons.

There is a complex answer, and a simple answer. The simple answer is "yes, but not as a standalone variable".

[wizard1073]

I want to examine a little more detail here. When I set up a generic scenario with an Over-the-Horizon radar, and look at each Side's view, there seems to be a lot of position accuracy at long range (if I read the absence of an AOU box as positional accuracy). In fact, the range and azimuth uncertainty at one to two thousand km should be significant, but I don't see that in a AOU box.

I'm not reporting a bug (yet). Just asking questions to understand what I am seeing.

[wizard1073]

I usually see multipath as the phenomenon that causes the target detections to fade in and out over long ranges at low grazing angles, causing "initial firm track" to be significantly different from "continuous firm track". This definitely affects engagements, as you cannot shoot at what you cannot see (even if you tried to when you first saw it before it faded). I never see this phenomenon in CMANO. Are you showing only continuous firm track?

[Dimitris]

If you are seeing an OTH detection without AoU this sounds like a possible bug. Could you please post a save?

Thanks!

[wizard1073]

I am seeing the AOU. In my previous scenario, I had two OTH's with some separation, so the target was resolving more accurately. I really need to re-check before I post.