Aircraft height estimation using 2-D radar

Abstract

A method to infer height information from an aircraft tracked with a single 2-D search radar is presented. The method assumes level flight in the target aircraft and a good estimate of the speed of the aircraft. The method yields good results for medium to high altitudes, though performs weaker at low altitudes. The method can distinguish between high and low targets on a normal 2-D radar, and can reach a height resolution of 100 m provided the 2-D radar is optimised to the task.