The above ground penetrating radar systems for close-up surveying of terrain are inadequate for the detection of frozen or thawed soil layers (which is important for mobility determination) and for locating near surface buried objects such as pipes, waste containers, mines, or unexploded ordnance. Current antenna systems are not capable of providing a small spot size at a useful frequency. Antennas that can provide a small spot size operate at too high a frequency to adequately penetrate wet soil. The current low frequency antennas are not suitable for coherent signal processing and accurate ranging due to the non-planar wave fronts at short ranges. We propose a novel antenna approach to cover the frequency band from 10 MHz to 1000 MHz which provides a small footprint on the soil surface A convincing demonstration of a cost effective Broadband Focused Radar at Ground Penetrating Frequencies for Detecting Mines, Unexploded Ordnance, or Mobility Related Surface Layers design would provide the Government an opportunity to provide this equipment to the military forces operating to clear mines, UXO or when operating on frozen terrain. This technique if successful can make a significant contribution to the use of Ground Penetrating Radar at frequencies that really do penetrate the ground. The Military and Commercial demand for this type of instrument is expected to be significant.
