Solving Next-Generation Radar Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Problems

Sandia National Laboratories’ Radar Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems enable a new product paradigm in radar capabilities and modalities. Since the late 20^th century, Sandia’s mission remains dedicated to producing the next generation of exquisite and attritable radars with the ability to shrink sensor size, increase resolution, perform exploitation, improve image quality, and advance real–time on–board processing. Sandia specializes in the full-system design of exquisite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), target recognition, and other sensor systems for the Department of War, other government agencies, and industry partners.

Since the mid 1980s, Sandia radars continue to address critical military problems in all geographic Unified Combatant Commands (COCOMs). Sandia delivers complete solutions, including mission planning and Concept of Operations (CONOPS) development, hardware development, algorithm development, platform integration and Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED). Sandia’s high impact, multimode SAR and GMTI systems are reconfigurable for multiple missions and designed for newer “plug and play” systems. As a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), Sandia is committed to developing and deploying next generation pathfinder solutions to ensure the safety and security of our nation for generations to come.

Areas of Expertise

Capabilities

Sandia’s ISR capabilities include everything from mission planning to system design and integration to data collection and analysis.

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Modes & Frequency Bands of Operation

Sandia’s SAR systems utilize a variety of advanced modes and are custom developed over frequency bands spanning from VHF to Ka-band and beyond.

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Example Applications

Sandia’s fielded radar systems are real world tested and have provided unique ISR for critical mission areas.

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Integration & Interoperability

Sandia’s advanced radar technologies are engineered for seamless operation across diverse platforms, delivering unparalleled capabilities for national security challenges.

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Legacy of Radar Development at Sandia

Radar ISR evolved from Sandia’s nuclear weapons radar altimeter fuse efforts.  The initial development of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems began for non-proliferation missions over 40 years ago.

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1970s

Advances in digital signal processing lead to improved SAR image quality and resolution. Spotlight-mode SAR becomes more widely adopted for earth observation.

1990s

The development of advanced algorithms for SAR image processing, including autofocus techniques and improved motion compensation, enhances the capabilities of spotlight-mode SAR.

2010s

Significant advancements in SAR technology, including the development of fine-resolution spaceborne SAR systems, improved algorithms, and the integration of interferometric techniques for topographic mapping and surface deformation analysis.

Today

Current advancements in radar technology include miniaturization and integration, increased resolution and sensitivity, AI/ML integration, real-time processing capabilities, multi-modal and multi-sensor fusion, phased array systems, advanced waveforms and modulation techniques, enhanced space-based radar systems, research into cognitive radar, and the influence of ever-changing missions, all contributing to more capable and versatile radar applications across various fields.

Galleries, Data & Publications