Military

Tejon Ranch RCS Facility

The Northrop facility goes by the name of Tejon Ranch (pronounced tay-on), and is sometimes referred to as the "Tehachapi Ranch." It is located in the foothills of the Tehachapi mountains, at the mouth of Little Oak Canyon, about 25 miles northwest of Lancaster, California, and 18 miles due west of the town of Rosamond. It is not under restricted airspace. Although publicly said to be a cattle ranch, no livestock are visible anywhere on the property. The long, wide surfaces said to be visible in aerial photos are not runways, though there are said to be white-painted diamond-shaped features on these surfaces. A white pylon is visible in the center of one diamond shape, and a pylon "rack" and antenna array are located near the main buildings.

The Tejon Test Site is a remote test facility located in California and is owned and operated by the Northrop Grumman Corporation. It encompasses over 1400 acres and is self-contained and self-sufficient. Its primary function is to conduct electromagnetic testing utilizing tow outdoor Radar Cross Section (RCD) ranges, two outdoor antenna ranges, and one indoor RCS Compact range. Available RCS test frequencies range from 145 MHz to 18 GHz, with imaging capability provided on all bands. These ranges can handle targets up to 8,000 pounds on a 14 foot or 26 foot target support and a range length of 1,500 feet or 3,000 feet. The antenna ranges include a fully automated state-of-the-art antenna and radome test facility covering selected frequencies from 100 MHz to 40 GHz. One antenna range has unobstructed 360 degree capability and can handle target weights up to 75,000 pounds. A model shop is available for target assembly and/or modification and secure target storage is provided.

The Tejon Test Site includes a 1200 sq. ft. paint booth with the required federal, state, and local permits. A machine shop and fabrication area are available for target assembly and/or modification. There are six segregated model storage/work areas totaling approximately 30,000 sq. ft.

There are two outdoor RCS ranges with available test frequencies from 145 MHz to 18 GHz in Vertical and Horizontal polarizations. Data acquisition is accomplished using the SPC Mark IV format. In the coherent mode, the range is capable of obtaining eight discreet frequencies per rotation with simultaneous multi-band acquisition. FFT imaging is available in all bands. Frequency sweeps can be set for 128, 256, or 512 frequencies per Chirp. The outdoor RCS range uses a new SPC Mark V radar, ISAR Recon III Data Acquisition software, and ISAR Knowbell Data Processing software. Data output is available in numerous formats including hardcopy, magnetic, and optical. Pattern types available include rectelinear coherent plots, polar coherent plots, medianized coherent plots, sector statistics, ISAR images, Pixel dumps, image edit and reconstruct, and global plots. The Tejon Test Site has several outdoor range model supports available for use. These include 14 foot pylons with 8000, 1500, and 500 pound capacities; a 26 foot pylon with 1500 pound capacity; and a 50 foot pylon with 10000 pound capacity. Foam poles are also available. These typically have a 2000 pound capacity with machining equipment on site to tailor these to meet customer requirements. Positioners are adaptable to custom poles.

The RCS Compact range at Tejon was completed in December of 2000. The 20 ft. x 20 ft. x 40 ft. long chamber is configurable for RCS or antenna measurements. it has a 6 foot long by 6 foot diameter cylindrical quiet zone. It is capable of performing RCS measurements at frequencies from 2 to 18 GHz. The target rotator has a capacity of 500 pounds. Active RCS or antennas can be tested. Raw and processed data as well as range video is available via a secure data link at El Segundo, California as well as worldwide using Quest Phone Service. Segregated, secure target storage areas are available. Easy target access and realtime and near-realtime data processing and analysis capabilities allow quick target changes and re-test.

The outdoor antenna test range is capable of testing at frequencies from 45 MHz to 18 GHz with CW or Frequency Step/Frequency List. Pattern types available include great circle and conic. The antenna range uses HP8510 based Flam & Russell 8003 Antenna/Radome measurement system, Adam Plot plotting software, and the Flam & Russell 8003 analysis software. Data acquisition is simultaneous dual channel absolute/relative gain, absolute/relative phase. The monopulse null seeking software includes boresight error and radome insertion loss. The Flam & Russell analysis package includes beam peak location, beam width at specified level, monopulse null depth and location, and side lobe location and magnitude. The outdoor antenna range positioner is a 10,000 pound Azimuth Over Elevation Over Azimuth positioner. Accuracy is guaranteed at +/- 0.03 degree peak error. Resolution is 0.001 degrees. Pedestal motion is selectable for continuous or step with azimuth limits at +/- 180 degrees and elevation at -40 degrees to +70 degrees.