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A method and radar system for estimating a radar search volume, includes acquiring covariance information relating to a cued direction, the covariance information having an ellipsoidal shape, projecting the ellipsoidal shape covariance information onto a range-traverse plane and onto the range-eleva

A method and radar system for estimating a radar search volume, includes acquiring covariance information relating to a cued direction, the covariance information having an ellipsoidal shape, projecting the ellipsoidal shape covariance information onto a range-traverse plane and onto the range-elevation plane to produce a covariance ellipse on the range-traverse and range-elevation planes; and determining the maximum extents in each of the range-transverse and range-elevation planes wherein the azimuth and elevation extents define the search volume.

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1. A method for estimating a radar search volume, the method comprising: acquiring covariance information relating to a cued direction, the covariance information having an ellipsoidal shape;projecting the ellipsoidal shape covariance information onto a range-traverse plane and onto the range-elevat

1. A method for estimating a radar search volume, the method comprising: acquiring covariance information relating to a cued direction, the covariance information having an ellipsoidal shape;projecting the ellipsoidal shape covariance information onto a range-traverse plane and onto the range-elevation plane to produce a covariance ellipse on the range-traverse and range-elevation planes; anddetermining, using a computer processor, the maximum extents in each of the range-traverse and range-elevation planes, the azimuth and elevation extents defining the search volume. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating azimuth and elevation angles of the azimuth and elevation extents. 3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: relocating azimuth and elevation centers to equalize the azimuth and elevation extents; anddeeming the azimuth and elevation extents so equalized to be actual azimuth and elevation extents of the search volume. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the azimuth and elevation angles and centers are calculated and relocated after determining the maximum extents. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the azimuth and elevation extents are deemed to be actual azimuth and elevation extents. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the projecting of the covariance ellipsoid includes: calculating the two points at which the range vectors are tangent to the projected covariance; andcalculating the traverse angles of the tangent range vectors. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the maximum extents in each of said range-traverse and range-elevation planes comprises the steps of: calculating the traverse center of the acquisition face as the midpoint of the traverse angles; andcalculating the traverse extent as one-half of the difference of the two angles. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the calculating of the traverse extent as one-half of the difference of the two traverse angles includes calculating the traverse extent as one-half of the positive difference of the two traverse angles. 9. A radar system for searching an angular region of a radar search volume, the radar system comprising: a radar beam generator for generating radar beams at a search face of the search volume;a source for providing covariance information relating to a cued direction, the covariance information having an ellipsoidal shape; anda processor coupled to the source and to the radar beam generator, the processor executing instructions for: projecting the ellipsoidal shape covariance information onto a range-traverse plane and onto the range-elevation plane to produce a covariance ellipse on the range-traverse and range-elevation planes; anddetermining the maximum extents in each of the range-traverse and range-elevation planes, the azimuth and elevation extents defining the search volume. 10. The radar system according to claim 9, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further comprise calculating azimuth and elevation angles of the azimuth and elevation extents. 11. The radar system according to claim 10, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further comprise: relocating azimuth and elevation centers to equalize the azimuth and elevation extents; anddeeming the azimuth and elevation extents so equalized to be actual azimuth and elevation extents of the search volume. 12. The radar system according to claim 11, wherein the azimuth and elevation angles and centers are calculated and relocated after determining the maximum extents. 13. The radar system according to claim 9, wherein the azimuth and elevation extents are deemed to be actual azimuth and elevation extents. 14. The radar system according to claim 9, wherein the projecting of the covariance ellipsoid includes: calculating the two points at which the range vectors are tangent to the projected covariance; andcalculating the traverse angles of the tangent range vectors. 15. The radar system according to claim 9, wherein the determining of the maximum extents comprises: calculating the traverse center of the acquisition face as the midpoint of the traverse angles; andcalculating the traverse extent as one-half of the difference of the two angles. 16. The radar system according to claim 15, wherein the calculating of the traverse extent as one-half of the difference of the two traverse angles includes calculating the traverse extent as one-half of the positive difference of the two traverse angles. 17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for estimating a radar search volume, the computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: project ellipsoidal shaped covariance information relating to a cued direction onto a range-traverse plane and onto a range-elevation plane to produce a covariance ellipse on the range-traverse and range-elevation planes; anddetermine the maximum extents in each of the range-traverse and range-elevation planes, the azimuth and elevation extents defining the search volume. 18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: calculate azimuth and elevation angles of the azimuth and elevation extents;relocate azimuth and elevation centers to equalize the azimuth and elevation extents; anddetermine the azimuth and elevation extents so equalized to be actual azimuth and elevation extents of the search volume. 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: calculate the two points at which the range vectors are tangent to the projected covariance; andcalculate the traverse angles of the tangent range vectors. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions causing the processor to determine the maximum extents in each of said range-traverse and range-elevation planes further comprises causing the processor to: calculate the traverse center of the acquisition face as the midpoint of the traverse angles; andcalculate the traverse extent as one-half of the positive difference of the two traverse angles.