Final answer:
IFF/SIF in conjunction with radar improves target identification and situational awareness. Increasing radar power output and improving receiver sensitivity are two methods to extend radar range, by allowing emission of stronger signals and detection of weaker reflected signals, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
When used in conjunction with radar, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF)/Selective Identification Feature (SIF) can help improve target identification capabilities and situational awareness. To enhance radar sensitivity and detection range, two improvements can be considered:
Increasing the power output of the radar's transmitter. This can allow the radar waves to travel further and hit more distant objects. Since radar detects objects by the reflection of its own signals, more power means a stronger signal will be reflected back even from objects that are far away.
Improving the receiver sensitivity of the radar. A more sensitive receiver can detect weaker signals, which are typically the returned signals from objects that are at the edge of the radar's range.
These enhancements would work because they both serve to amplify the radar's ability to detect and process the presence of objects at greater distances. The increased power output allows the emitted radar waves to cover more distance, while the improved receiver sensitivity helps in distinguishing those reflected signals that would otherwise be too weak to detect due to distance-related attenuation.