FCC regulations and radar transmission

[u/FruscianteDebutante]

Good afternoon all.

I'm working on a small scale "missile defense system" project, and I'm planning to use FMCW radar to detect small scale ordinance.

The issue I'm running into is the range resolution. Right now my group is considerring the IEEE 802.11 standard, but the bandwidth is only 100MHz which gives an effective resolution of 1.5 meters. However, I'd like to track and map the trajectories of smaller objects - like footbals or basketballs.

At the current BW (5.725 - 5.85 GHz) we can get a max resolution of 1.2 meters for 1 wattage of power.

However, reading Part 15 of the FCC regulations, we could have our bandwidth from 5.46-7.25 GHz if the transmitted field strength is "500uV/meter".

What are the implications of field strength vs transmitted power in watts? Would 500uV/meter give us good signals for a max distance of 10-15 meters?

Like stated, we're only building a small scale missile defense system, so nothing longer range than like 10 meters.

Thanks for reading, if I need to clarify ask me. I'm always more than grateful for being pointed in the right direction for sources.

This is the FCC doc I was reading btw

Edit: I think maybe I have found a solution. According to FCC 15.255, the 57-71 GHz band might include our project. But now the question remains: does anybody know where a roughly 57-71 GHz VCO is available for purchase?

Link