SRC Secures Patent for Advanced Radar Noise Reduction Software
A new software method filters electronic interference across overlapping radar beams to eliminate false target detections in crowded signal environments.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Sep 09, 2026
A defense research firm has received a U.S. patent for a software-based method designed to help radar systems distinguish actual targets from surrounding electronic noise.
The technology addresses growing signal congestion caused by neighboring radar units, cellular towers and radio transmitters. These background signals often mimic legitimate radar returns, leading systems to track false targets and consume valuable computing capacity.
Engineers John C. Dougherty and David L. Weldum developed the method, which compares signal intensity across overlapping radar beams. Because legitimate radar returns display predictable behaviors across these beams, the software can identify and filter out anomalies before target data appears on an operator's display.
The software algorithm operates across a variety of scanning radar platforms without requiring hardware modifications. SRC evaluated and validated the technology using recorded radar dataset runs.
The methodology applies to both air- and surface-scanning systems operating in dense radio frequency environments.