Blip enhancement
Encyclopedia
Blip enhancement is an electronic warfare
technique used to fool radar
. When the radar transmits a burst of energy some of that energy is reflected off a target and is received back at the radar and processed to determine range and angle. The reflected target energy is called skin return, and the amount of energy returning to the originating radar is directly proportional to the cross-sectional area of the target.
Basic radars present the target information on a display and displayed targets are referred to as blips. Based on the relative size of the blips on the display, a radar operator could determine large targets from small targets. When a blip enhancing technique is used, small targets returns are augmented to look like large targets.
One early maritime application of this technique was used with an aircraft carrier
and its escort ships. Because the aircraft carrier physically dwarfed the other vessels its radar return was much larger making it relatively easy for a radar operator to pick it out as a target. Escort ships were fitted with blip enhance transmitters that received and amplified the radar signal so that all of the escort ships looked like they were aircraft carrier-sized targets. When all the escort ships activated their blip enhance transmitters, all the ships blips grew on the radar display masking the true aircraft carrier blip, and confusing any attempt to target the aircraft carrier for a missile
attack.
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
technique used to fool radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. When the radar transmits a burst of energy some of that energy is reflected off a target and is received back at the radar and processed to determine range and angle. The reflected target energy is called skin return, and the amount of energy returning to the originating radar is directly proportional to the cross-sectional area of the target.
Basic radars present the target information on a display and displayed targets are referred to as blips. Based on the relative size of the blips on the display, a radar operator could determine large targets from small targets. When a blip enhancing technique is used, small targets returns are augmented to look like large targets.
One early maritime application of this technique was used with an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
and its escort ships. Because the aircraft carrier physically dwarfed the other vessels its radar return was much larger making it relatively easy for a radar operator to pick it out as a target. Escort ships were fitted with blip enhance transmitters that received and amplified the radar signal so that all of the escort ships looked like they were aircraft carrier-sized targets. When all the escort ships activated their blip enhance transmitters, all the ships blips grew on the radar display masking the true aircraft carrier blip, and confusing any attempt to target the aircraft carrier for a missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
attack.