A Compact Airborne Ka-band Precipitation PMS Probe Radar (KPR)

ProSensing is developing a compact airborne Ka-band dual-beam Precipitation Radar (KPR) to operate from a standard PMS (Particle Measurement Systems) probe canister. The key components of this radar are an arbitrary pulse waveform generator, a 10 W pulsed solid state power amplifier, a low-loss, latching circulator switch network, a pair of flat plate waveguide array antennas for interleaved profiling below and above an aircraft and an integrated noise source and warm reference load for radiometric measurement capability. The transmit pulse consists of a linear-FM pulse compression waveform followed by an offset frequency short RF pulse. This allows the radar to measure precipitation as close as 100 m from the aircraft using the short pulse return, while achieving enhanced sensitivity at farther ranges using the pulse compression waveform. The recorded radar parameters include profiles of radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity above and below the aircraft. This paper will describe the radar hardware and waveform design, its expected sensitivity, and a planned simultaneous radar-radiometer mode.