FOCUSED COUNTERMINE ARRAY FOR MICROWAVE DETECTION AND DESTRUCTION OF MINES

THIS PROPOSAL IS ADDRESSED TO THE PROBLEM OF DETECTING AND DISABLING LAND MINES USING FOCUSED MICROWAVE RADIATION. THE CONCEPT IS DIRECTED PRIMARILY TO SUBSURFACE ANTI-TANK MINES OF EITHER DIELECTRIC OR METALLIC COMPOSITION, ALTHOUGH IT IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO SURFACE MINES. THE INNOVATIVE CONCEPT PROPOSED IS THE USE OF A DIGITALLY FOCUSED AND SCANNED MICROWAVE ARRAY RADAR DETECTION SYSTEM USING BISTATIC OBLIQUE FORWARD SCATTERING TO REDUCE GROUND SURFACE REFLECTIONS. THE SYSTEM FORMS A HIGH RESOLUTION THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE OF THE MEDIUM WHICH ALLOWS A MINE TO BE BOTH DETECTED AND IDENTIFIED BY ITS IMAGE. THE SYSTEM USED A HIGH POWER FOCUSED MICROWAVE ARRAY FOR DESTRUCTION OF THE MINE BY MICROWAVE HEATING. THE GOAL OF THE DETECTION SYSTEM IS TO OBTAIN BETTER THAN 5 CM RESOLUTION IN THREE DIMENSIONS, HIGH SPEED IMAGING OF THE MEDIUM AND TARGET ALLOWING A HIGH RATE OF FORWARD MOTION, AND SUB-SURFACE TRANSMISSION APPROACHING 100%. THE SYSTEM WILL ATTEMPT TO DISABLE THE MINE WITHOUT DETONATION ALLOWING A REDUCED STANDOFF DISTANCE. THE CONCEPT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE METHOD OF HIGH SPEED, HIGH RESOLUTION MINE DETECTION WITH THE SAME FOCUSED ARRAY TECHNOLOGY BEING USED FOR DESTRUCTION OF THE MINE.