Patent attributes
A long range millimeter wave imaging radar system. Preferred embodiments are positioned to detect foreign object debris objects on surface of the runway, taxiways and other areas of interest. The system includes electronics adapted to produce millimeter wave radiation scanned over a frequency range of a few gigahertz. The scanned millimeter wave radiation is broadcast through a frequency scanned antenna to produce a narrow scanned transmit beam in a first scanned direction (such as the vertical direction) defining a narrow, approximately one dimensional, electronically scanned field of view corresponding to the scanned millimeter wave frequencies. The antenna is mechanically pivoted or scanned in a second scanned direction perpendicular to the first scanned direction so as to define a two-dimensional field of view.

