or three dimensional representations of the object. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a targeted region to provide finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional beam-scanning radars. SAR is typically mounted on a moving platform such as an aircraft or spacecraft, and has its origins in an advanced form of side-looking airborne radar (SLAR). The distance the SAR device travels over a target in the time taken for the radar pulses to return to the antenna creates the large "synthetic" antenna aperture (the "size" of the antenna). As a rule of thumb, the larger the aperture is, the higher the image resolution will be, regardless of whether the aperture is physical (a large antenna) or 'synthetic' (a moving antenna) – this allows SAR to create high resolution images with comparatively small physical antennas. SAR has proven to be a revolutionary tool in imaging and intelligence collection as it allows digital image collection in all weather conditions, day or night and allows the the further eploitation of digital data using various processing filters and techniques. This book gives an overview of SAR, its deployment and usage.

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