Self-Cohering Airborne Distributed Array

Abstract

Several algorithms for self cohering an airborne distributed array on radar clutter have been tested and their performances have been statistically evaluated. Also, several new algorithms have been developed. The new algorithms offer, in general, improved performance and wider applicability. Airborne clutter data was obtained from two sources: the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM). Specific runs of the 8-element NRL airborne array were identified and obtained. These covered land as well as sea clutter, with different radar look angles, and different pulse repetition rates. Several runs of ERIM SAR data were also obtained. The SAR data was adapted to permit testing of the Minimum Variance and Robust algorithms. The performance of the Minimum Variance algorithm was tested and statistically evaluated using the NRL and ERIM clutter data. The algorithm was successful against land clutter where it was used successfully for finding targets of opportunity that allowed retrodirective beamforming. The algorithm was unreliable (as expected) against sea clutter. Doppler Beamsharpening techniques were also tested against the NRL land clutter data. Doppler Beamsharpening proved to be highly effective in increasing the chance of finding targets of opportunity that allow high quality retrodirective beamforming.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA198783

Entities

People

  • E. H. Attia

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Airframes
  • Algorithms
  • Antenna Arrays
  • Clutter
  • Computer Simulations
  • Military Research
  • Phased Arrays
  • Radar
  • Radar Clutter
  • Radar Signals
  • Radiation
  • Scattering
  • Sea Clutter
  • Space Based
  • Transmitting
  • Two Dimensional
  • United States

Readers

  • Operations Research
  • Phased Array Antenna Design.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.