Interception Model of Random Scanning Strategies Against Frequency-Agile Radar in Electronic Support

In the context of Electronic Support, the primary objective is to extract as much information as possible from the radio frequency spectrum. Passive receivers are employed to monitor a wide frequency range that includes both communication and radar signals. Among the available receiver technologies, superheterodyne receivers (SHRs) are notable for their low cost and long-range capabilities compared to conventional wide-band receivers. However, SHRs have a narrow instantaneous frequency band, which needs to be scanned across the spectrum of interest. Their main drawback is their low probability of interception. This highlights the need for predictive models that can estimate interception performance against known emitters, to improve the optimization of receiver parameters. Existing models consider either deterministic scanning strategies [1], [2], [3], or random scanning with simple emitters [4]. In this work, we propose a model that accounts for randomly scanning multichannel SHRs, targeting frequency-agile radar emitters with rotating directional antennas. To do so, we use mathematical results on the coincidence between two pulse trains with a single window. We provide insights on the influence of main parameters and a comparison with existing models. Model validation is carried out in a simulated electronic warfare environment. We apply a minimax scheme to optimize a random scanning strategy for the interception of multiple known emitters, with uncertainty intervals. The proposed model allows to consider complex interception scenarios, and may serve as a theoretical baseline and design tool for adaptive scanning strategies.