Improved CFAR performance in the littoral

Littoral operation of radars poses severe signal processing difficulties due to the highly stressing, inhomogeneous clutter. This report describes an initial investigation into the feasibility of utilising site-specific radar modelling to provide a localised estimate of the clutter statistics which can then be used to predict the required threshold to maintain a given false alarm rate. The technique has been applied to littoral clutter recordings obtained from the experimental S-band phased array radar, MESAR2. Results are presented for the technique in comparison with a conventional, non-adaptive, cell averaging CFAR. This paper concludes that significant performance enhancements are possible through the use of this new technique.     

模糊C均值算法在机载PD雷达杂波跟踪中的应用

介绍一种适用于机载PD雷达的杂波跟踪技术，结合机载PD雷达杂波分布特征和模糊C均值算法的特点，将模糊C均值算法用于杂波跟踪，给出了相应的算法流程，并提出了一种确定初始模糊隶属度的方法，经仿真数据验证，取得了满意的结果。     

Optimal radar threshold determination in Weibull clutter andGaussian noise

A technique is presented for determining the ideal detection threshold when Gaussian noise and Weibull distributed clutter returns are present on a radar receiver and neither is dominant. Quantitative data is presented for several clutter types and false alarm probabilities     

Multipath and ground clutter analysis for a UWB noise radar

An ultrawideband (UWB) random-noise radar operating in the 1-2 GHz frequency band has been developed and field-tested up to a 200 m range at the Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory (ERSL) of the University of Nebraska. A unique heterodyne correlation technique based on a delayed transmitted waveform using a photonic delay line has been used to inject coherence within this system. The performance of this radar in the presence of ground reflections is investigated analytically and experimentally, and the mitigating effects of UWB waveform on multipath-induced interference are analyzed. In addition, the ground clutter statistics, in a look-down mode, are theoretically established and experimentally verified. The performance of this radar in detecting clutter embedded targets with small radar cross section (RCS) is also experimentally examined.     

Further results on radar pointing error reduction using discreteextended Kalman filtering

A recently proposed method of reducing target glint errors in radar systems using extended Kalman filtering is further extended with the inclusion of and compensation for clutter effects. A discrete target model and discrete Kalman filter (DKF) are used. Simulation results demonstrating the DKF are presented, and the limits on the effectiveness of the method are investigated. The major advantage of the DKF is that it can be implemented in software in the digital processor of the radar, offering flexibility over continuous time filters. The ability of the filter to reduce clutter effects further demonstrates the usefulness of this technique for radar pointing error reduction     

A novel target detection approach based on adaptive radar waveform design

To resolve problems of complicated clutter, fast-varying scenes, and low signal-clutterratio (SCR) in application of target detection on sea for space-based radar (SBR), a target detection approach based on adaptive waveform design is proposed in this paper. Firstly, complicated sea clutter is modeled as compound Gaussian process, and a target is modeled as some scatterers with Gaussian reflectivity. Secondly, every dwell duration of radar is divided into several sub-dwells. Regular linear frequency modulated pulses are transmitted at Sub-dwell 1, and the received signal at this sub-dwell is used to estimate clutter covariance matrices and pre-detection. Estimated matrices are updated at every following sub-dwell by multiple particle filtering to cope with fast-varying clutter scenes of SBR. Furthermore, waveform of every following sub-dwell is designed adaptively according to mean square optimization technique. Finally, principal component analysis and generalized likelihood ratio test is used for mitigation of colored interference and property of constant false alarm rate, respectively. Simulation results show that, considering configuration of SBR and condition of complicated clutter, 9 dB is reduced for SCR which reliable detection requires by this target detection approach. Therefore, the work in this paper can markedly improve radar detection performance for weak targets.     

Multiple moving target feature extraction for airborne HRR radar

This study considers the clutter suppression and feature extraction of multiple moving targets for airborne high range resolution (HRR) phased array radar. To avoid the range migration problems that occur in the HRR radar data, we divide each HRR profile into nonoverlapping low range resolution segments. No information is lost due to the division and hence no loss of resolution occurs. We show how to use a vector auto-regressive filtering technique to suppress the clutter. Then a relaxation-based parameter estimation algorithm is presented for multiple moving target feature extraction. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm     

机载MIMO雷达空时自适应杂波对消器

针对机载多输入多输出(MIMO)雷达杂波分布呈现空时耦合特性,提出一种空时自适应杂波对消器.利用机载MIMO雷达的脉冲回波数据,构造杂波对消器的系数矩阵.通过空时自适应杂波对消器的预处理,可以有效地抑制杂波,并通过与常规空时处理算法的级联,最终可以有效提高动目标的检测性能.实现了由传统地基雷达杂波对消器向机载运动平台的推广.仿真结果表明,这种自适应杂波对消器不仅适用于正侧视雷达,对于非正侧视雷达也同样适用.     

Maximizing the Usable Bandwidth of MTI Signal Processors

A technique is presented for maximizing the percentage of usable Doppler bandwidth throughout which a radar return can be detected while maintaining an acceptable clutter suppression. The technique employs the weighted Chebyshev approximation to the design of a transversal high-pass digital filter which has an optimal passband ripple for a given number of filter weights and associated integration gain consistent with the required increase in signal-to-noise ratio needed for acceptable probabilities of detection and false alarm. Conventional approaches to the design of a movingtarget arget indictor (MTI) filter which maximizes the improvement factor by clutter suppression typically improve the signal-to-background noise ratio over less than 50 percent of the range between dc and the pulse-repetition frequency fT. This technique can increase the usable bandwidth to 80 percent or more of fT. Two examples are included which utilize parameter values from the Army Missile Command's experimental radar and demonstrate the interactive influence of such filter parameters as the number of weights, passband ripple and bandedge, and stopband attenuation and cutoff.     

Radar Target Pointing Error Reduction Using Extended Kalman Filtering

A new method of reducing target glint errors in radar systems is presented. The target is modeled as n reflectors whose magnitudes and phases are known. The reflector positions are described by a dynamical model driven by white Gaussian noise. The resulting vibrations of the target reflectors produce glintlike pointing errors in the radar system. An extended Kalman filter is developed to estimate the positions of the target reflectors; this information is used to substantially reduce the pointing error due to glint. Data illustrating this glint reduction is given. The model is extended by the inclusion of clutter effects modeled in the same fashion as the glint phenomenon. The results presented indicate the limits of usefulness of this technique as a function of both receiver noise and relative clutter amplitude.     

HRR Detector for Slow-Moving Targets in Sea Clutter

The radar detection of targets in the presence of sea clutter has historically relied upon the radial velocity of targets with respect to the radar platform either by exploiting the relative target Dopplers (for targets with sufficient radial velocity) or by discerning the paths targets traverse from scan to scan. For targets with little to no radial velocity component, though, it can become quite difficult to differentiate targets from the surrounding sea clutter. This paper addresses the detection of slow-moving targets in sea clutter using a high resolution radar (HRR) such that the target has perceptible extent in range. Under the assumption of completely random sea clutter spikes based on an epsiv-contaminated mixture model with the signal and clutter powers known, optimal detection performance results from using the likelihood ratio test (LRT). However, for realistic sea clutter, the clutter spikes tend to be a localized phenomenon. Based upon observations from real radar data measurements, a heuristic approach exploiting a salient aspect of the idealized LRT is developed which is shown to perform well when applied to real measured sea clutter.     

A Technique for Improving the Clutter Performance of Coherent Pulse Train Signals

The clutter performance of a radar using coherent pulse train signls depends upon the phase and amplitude weighting used on transmit and receive. This paper describes an iterative technique to determine better weightings. Each iteration improves the signal-to-interference ratio, where the interference is the sum of the mean square noise voltage and the mean square clutter voltage at the time of peak signal. Two examples are presented to illustrate the method and to demonstrate that in many cases the procedure will yield weightings that may be used in a system where the transmitter permits no amplitude weighting.     

Doppler Processor Rejection of Range Ambiguous Clutter

Doppler processors are used in radar to separate target returns from clutter. When the clutter is at a range farther than the unambiguous range of the radar, the ability to reject the clutter is degraded. In this article the degradation is analyzed for an N-pulse batch processor with Dolph weighting, and the results show how degradation varies with design sidelobe level.     

基于杂波对消-自聚焦的多通道SAR-GMTI

对超高频(UHF)波段多通道合成孔径雷达(SAR)动目标检测技术进行研究,解决了长相干积累时间导致动目标在方位向散焦严重的问题。采用分块自聚焦技术对多通道SAR地面移动目标指示(GMTI)系统自适应杂波抑制后的SAR图像进行处理,改善杂波抑制后的SAR图像中动目标的聚焦情况,增强动目标与周围剩余杂波的对比度,进而提高恒虚警率(CFAR)检测的性能。与传统杂波抑制后直接进行CFAR检测方法相比较,该方法降低了检测虚警概率。实测数据处理结果显示动目标的信杂比明显提高,动目标方位向聚焦成功,证明了该方法的有效性。     

Performance analysis of radar antenna systems

If modern airborne radar systems are to function properly, the radar antenna radiation patterns must meet certain specifications. Until recently, most radar antennas were designed and tested in a clean antenna environment, i.e., there is no near field scattering from host structures or radome effects. However, these higher order effects are the matter of increasing concern with added performance demands in the ever-increasing jammer and clutter interference environments. We investigated the capabilities and limitations of currently available analysis techniques and computer codes for installed performance of airborne radar antenna systems. Then we developed an extended ray-optical technique that could predict total installed performance of airborne radar antenna systems, i.e., the near field scattering from aircraft structures and radome effects. The new analysis technique utilized a ray-tracing method in both airframe and radome simulation. Thus, it can efficiently predict the total installed performance of large radar antenna systems on an aircraft structure     

Analysis of array errors and a short-time processor in airbornephased array radars

Array errors are inherent in a realistic phased array radar system. The influence of array errors on the clutter degrees of freedom and the clutter subspace in an airborne phased array radar is analyzed. Based on the presented theoretic results, a method of short-time processing followed by coherent integration is proposed for clutter suppression in airborne phased array radars. It can approximate the two-dimensional optimal processor well even in the presence of array errors, clutter fluctuations and aircraft drift, with a considerable saving in computations     

Nonuniform Three-dimensional Configuration Distributed SAR Signal Reconstruction Clutter Suppression

This paper deals with the problem of clutter suppression in spaceborne distributed synthetic aperture radar (D-SAR) with nonuniform three-dimensional (3D) configuration geometry. In order to make a breakthrough of the configuration limitation of the traditional space time adaptive processing (STAP) based on uniform array and improve the inhomogeneous clutter suppression performance, this paper considers signal reconstruction technique using array interpolation to process the D-SAR signal. An array interpolation signal reconstruction method based on pitching-partition is derived then a signal reconstruction 3D-STAP clutter suppression method applied to nonuniform 3D configuration is proposed. In particular, the proposed method is compared with conventional methods and the performance analysis is carried out based on simulations. The improvement factor (IF) for clutter suppression is imported and reported as a benchmark on the clutter suppression effect.     

Radar Partial Coherence Theory: An Introduction

The nature of physical phenomena is such that scattering from portions of an object, a number of objects, or clutter, is not completely unrelated; the underlying environment causes some degree of order in the phenomenon. Radar partial coherence theory describes a structure for the general target, or clutter, and its relationship to radar cross section, waveform coding, and the radar output signal. The clutter ambiguity function is introduced for extended bodies and embraces the (Woodward) ambiguity function for a point target. Due to nonlinear effects caused by partial coherence within the general target, radar signals and targets are formulated in terms of mutual coherence functions. The basic quantities describing the radar output are 1) the radar mutual coherence function (formulated in terms of the radar waveform) and 2) the target mutual coherence function which depends upon target properties, physical environment, and viewing aspect. Random noise (independent point scatterers) and partially coherent portions of reflecting bodies are made accountable in the theory. Partial coherence effects are treated as patches of reflected energy: self-coherent energy patches plus mutually coherent energy among the patches.     

MTI Optimization in a Multiple-Clutter Environment

A means of optimizing a moving target indicator (MTI) filter for rejecting several types of clutter, which are generated by different mechanisms such as by rain or the ground, is formulated. lt is found that the optimal performance of such a filter depends on the spectral density functions, average radar cross sections, and the relative mean Doppler frequencies of each type of clutter. lt is shown that the optimal improvement factor of such a filter is bounded by the weighted average (weighted in accordance with the radar cross sections of the clutter types) of the improvement factor for the individual clutter type. lt is also shown that the improvement factor of such a filter is a function of the relative mean Doppler frequency f0 between the clutter types. As f0 increases, the performance of the MTI system degrades. The worst improvement factor occurs when f0 is equal to half of the radar pulse-repetition frequency (PRF).