What feature of radar performance is improved by larger antenna aperture?

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Multiple Choice

What feature of radar performance is improved by larger antenna aperture?

Larger antenna aperture narrows the diffraction-limited beamwidth of the radar. A tighter beam concentrates energy into a smaller solid angle, which increases antenna gain and sharpens angular resolution. With better angular resolution, bearing estimates become more accurate because the radar can distinguish targets that are closer together in angle and determine their direction more precisely. Roughly, doubling the aperture halves the beamwidth, giving a notable improvement in bearing accuracy. Range isn't directly improved by aperture size—the range equation depends more on transmitted power, target RCS, and system losses—while velocity measurements rely on Doppler processing, not the beamwidth. Power consumption isn’t reduced by using a larger aperture either.

Larger antenna aperture narrows the diffraction-limited beamwidth of the radar. A tighter beam concentrates energy into a smaller solid angle, which increases antenna gain and sharpens angular resolution. With better angular resolution, bearing estimates become more accurate because the radar can distinguish targets that are closer together in angle and determine their direction more precisely. Roughly, doubling the aperture halves the beamwidth, giving a notable improvement in bearing accuracy. Range isn't directly improved by aperture size—the range equation depends more on transmitted power, target RCS, and system losses—while velocity measurements rely on Doppler processing, not the beamwidth. Power consumption isn’t reduced by using a larger aperture either.

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