Radar Received Power Calculator
Calculate ideal monostatic radar return power from transmit power, antenna gain, range and target cross section.
YOUR CALCULATION
Result
—
Calculation steps
Work through one step at a time or reveal the complete calculation. The steps use your current inputs.
How to calculate
Use the monostatic free-space radar equation, with antenna power gain applied once on transmit and once on receive.
Pr=Pt G² λ² σ/((4π)³ R⁴ L)
Worked example
Doubling range divides the ideal return power by 16, a decrease of about 12.0412 dB.
Assumptions and input details
Positive entered target cross section, same transmit/receive antenna and far-field free space. Cross section is supplied, not inferred from target size. Atmospheric loss, detection probability, clutter, waveform processing and regulatory operation are excluded.
Unit definitions
Unit selection is independent of language. Each selector contains only units for its physical quantity. Calculations use defined base units internally.
Choose from 23 length definitions, including explicitly labelled regional measures. Area conversions square the length factor; geometric volumes cube it.
Regional measures are not interchangeable merely because their names look similar. This is a documented selection, not a claim to include every historical unit.
SI prefixes are explicit: for example, milli means one thousandth, micro one millionth and kilo one thousand. Changing a unit changes the interpretation of the entered number.
NIST measurement tables · Japanese traditional units · Mainland China and Hong Kong unit distinctions
Using this calculator
Can I enter my own problem?
Yes. Replace the example values with your own inputs. The result, calculation steps, tables and applicable diagrams update from those inputs. Blank or invalid values clear the result; example values are never silently substituted for missing inputs.
Are the results exact?
Results use floating-point arithmetic and displayed rounding. Read the formula, assumptions and any stated data precision before interpreting the result.
Is my input uploaded?
The calculation runs in your browser. No account, file upload or external AI service is required. Inputs are not saved between page reloads.
Calculate ideal free-space received power, entered sensitivity margin and midpoint first-Fresnel radius.
Convert power or root-power amplitude ratios to decibels and back. Add independent source levels that share a reference, using logarithmic power addition.
Estimate the conventional large-aperture Fraunhofer boundary from aperture dimension and wavelength.
Reserved advertising space.