MBDA in Schrobenhausen houses different laboratories where technicians and engineers study missile characteristics and capabilities. The Compact Test Range is one of them. Here, engineers examine fields of antennas in the frequency range from 1 to one hundred GHz. In addition, it is possible to measure how bodies reflect or absorb electromagnetic fields. The radar cross section (RCS) describes how a body reflects electromagnetic fields in the radar wavelength range. Knowledge of this cross section is fundamental to using a radar to detect and track objects. This knowledge is valuable for both civil and military applications.

For example, for civilian maritime safety, it is important to be detected - not only in bright sunlight but also in the frequency range of radars at long distances, in fog and rough seas. That is why yachts are equipped with radar reflectors that provide a strong signature in a radar image. To check how strong this signature really is, such radar reflectors are examined in a Compact Test Range. This ensures that even a smaller boat or yacht can be easily detected on the radar image at a greater distance.

In military applications, on the other hand, it is usually important to remain undetected. For this purpose, a missile must leave as small a radar signature as possible. In the test range, technicians can also investigate how small this signature is in different frequency ranges and different positions.