Experimental Characterization of a Multifunction X-Band AESA Radar Demonstrator

Abstract

Modern naval surveillance demands multifunction radar systems capable of operating in cluttered and contested environments. This paper presents the experimental characterization of a compact, X-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar demonstrator. The system was evaluated in a realistic coastal field environment at Naval Support and Experimentation Centre (CSSN) and, specifically, its specialized institute, the G. Vallauri Institute, which has historical expertise in testing and evaluating the performance of operational sensors as well as those under development, using real maritime targets and an active noise jammer. The trials assessed three core functions: direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimation, adaptive jammer suppression using MVDR beamforming, and high-resolution Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging. The results confirm that the demonstrator successfully detects and localizes targets, effectively suppresses high-power interference, and generates clear ISAR images of non-cooperative vessels. These findings validate the multifunction performance of the AESA demonstrator, confirming its suitability for advanced naval surveillance applications.