Abstract: A balloon with an internal corner reflector for radio waves is built with the reflecting plane of the reflector freely suspended from a cord frame system which is only secured in the points of suspension. The reflector is suspended inside a balloon which is composed of single flat pieces of a resilient material. Manufacture of the reflector balloon may substantially be done in one plane and the balloon primarily envelopes the reflector very tightly. The suspension utilizes the resiliency of the balloon corners. Balloons which are observed from below may have four internal corners with downwards facing openings and may also be designed to provide rotation.

Abstract: The towed multi-band radar decoy or target is a collapsible, airstream-inflatable device intended to be used for providing gunnery practice or electronic countermeasure protection for aircraft against radars and radar-guided missiles by being towed on a line behind the aircraft and offering a more attractive radar target than the aircraft for the radar or radar guided missile to track and home on. The decoy or target is collapsible, so that many can be stored in a small space, and can be deployed while an aircraft is airborne. The decoy is comprised of a sleeve of radar-transparent fabric having a tapered cylindrical shape and an open mouth at a narrow end, and clusters of orthogonal trihedral corners formed from flat conductive surfaces fixed inside and to said sleeve which can be folded and collapsed into a small space, and once inflated, for providing a radar reflective signature which exceeds that of a towing aircraft over predetermined angular aspects.

Abstract: A reflector (3) may be mounted in a hollow housing (2) adapted to fly in ambient air. The reflector device (3) may be formed from a coating on the surfaces of blocks, the coating being metal or dielectric. Reflecting surfaces whether self supporting or not may be formed as intersecting circles or polygonal (more than four sides). They may be suspended in housing (2) adapted to fly either directly or indirectly by means of an intermediate body within the housing.

Abstract: An improved radar retro-reflector providing overlapping coverage at low angles of elevation comprises a plurality of three-corner retro-reflectors made of electromagnetically reflective material lying in three planes which intersect each other at right angles. The individual retro-reflectors are supported between a horizontal base and a platform mounted above the base, and are interconnected to each other and to the base and to the platform in a geodesic configuration. Additional three-corner reflectors may be mounted atop the platform in back-to-back configuration. The radar retro-reflector may be foldable into a compact generally flattened storage position by making the device out of a plurality of hingedly connected triangular panels controlled by a hydraulic or other actuating system.

Abstract: An aircraft (1) includes a radar reflector (2) arranged so that the radar signature of the combination of aircraft (1) and reflector (2) is different from that of the aircraft (1) alone. This confuses enemy radar either by removing or folding flat the reflector (2) when on a combat mission so that the aircraft (1) on its own has a surprisingly low radar cross-section; or, alternatively by making radar signature of the combination correspond to that of an aircraft of a potential enemy.

Abstract: Improved radar reflector apparatus which includes a collapsible and inflatable radar wave permeable envelope which when inflated assumes the shape of an ellipsoid. The ellipsoid envelope surround a radar reflective array having a number of radar wave reflectors which, when the envelope is inflated, are arranged to form a plurality of corner reflectors. The reflectors are in the shape of right multilaterals having two sides perpendicular to one another and the other sides forming obtuse angles where the apexes of these angles may provide points of attachment to the inner surface of the inflatable envelope.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for monitoring ice masses wherein a signal transmitter is attached to an ice mass and receivers are used to detect the location of the transmitter.

Abstract: A compactible decoy device. A decoy device according to this invention has a body of resilient foam material having at least one and preferably more radiation reflecting surfaces disposed within its volume. The radiation reflecting surfaces are also collapsible. The device can be compressed in all three dimensions and will deploy to the fully expanded position upon release from the compressed position.

Abstract: A rope is pulled between an end member such as a parachute forming a sail with regard to the wind and a main floating anchor located at the other end. This rope is connected at chosen intervals to captive-balloons, each associated with secondary floating anchors. The captive-balloons are chosen to be sensitive to the wind in order to incline themselves with respect to the floating anchor and to respectively support decoys formed by sets of retroreflective trihedrons. Advantageously, the decoys are individually connected in their lower part to floating bodies such as slightly inflated and loaded balloons. The invention has application, in particular, to the simulation of large surface ships.

Abstract: Improved radar reflector apparatus of the type comprising a collapsible and inflatable envelope surrounding a collapsible reflector array made of reflectors which, when the envelope is inflated, form a plurality of corner reflectors. The improvement resides primarily in the fact that each of the reflectors is mounted or suspended in the envelope by a string mounting network independently of the others.