Surfaces with adaptive radar reflection coefficients

Conventional (passive) radar-absorbing materials (RAM) have been in use now for over half a century, but it is only with recent advances in conducting polymer composite materials that large-area surfaces having controllable reflection coefficients at radar frequencies have become practicable. Techniques for utilizing these new materials in re-configurable electromagnetic, or `smart', surfaces are reviewed, with due emphasis given to the problem of system integration. The discussion is complemented by modelled and measured performance data on several smart surface configurations.