Moving Target Detection in Foliage Using Along Track Monopulse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

Abstract-This paper presents a method for detecting moving targets embedded in foliage from the monostatic and bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data obtained via two airborne radars. The two radars, which are mounted on the same aircraft, have different coordinates in the along track (cross-range) domain. However, unlike the interferometric SAR systems used for topographic mapping, the two radars possess a common range and altitude (i.e., slant range). The resultant monopulse SAR images are used to construct difference and interferometric images for moving target detection. It is shown that the signatures of the stationary targets are weakened in these images. Methods for estimating a moving target's motion parameters are discussed. Results for an ultrawideband UHF SAR system are presented

Ground Moving Target Imaging using Bi-static Synthetic Aperture Radar

Abstract — In this paper, we present a novel method for imaging of moving targets using bi-static synthetic aperture radar configurations. We present a forward model that maps the twodimensional reflectivity and velocity of targets to the measured scattered field data. We then introduce a filtered-backprojection type method to reconstruct the reflectivity and use Renyi entropy to determine the two-dimensional velocity of targets. The filter is determined so that the reflectivity images are reconstructed at the correct location, orientation and strength whenever the velocity field is determined correctly. We present numerical simulations to verify our theory. I

An Efficient Polyphase Filter Based Resampling Method for Unifying the PRFs in SAR Data

Variable and higher pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) are increasingly being used to meet the stricter requirements and complexities of current airborne and spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems associated with higher resolution and wider area products. POLYPHASE, the proposed resampling scheme, downsamples and unifies variable PRFs within a single look complex (SLC) SAR acquisition and across a repeat pass sequence of acquisitions down to an effective lower PRF. A sparsity condition of the received SAR data ensures that the uniformly resampled data approximates the spectral properties of a decimated densely sampled version of the received SAR data. While experiments conducted with both synthetically generated and real airborne SAR data show that POLYPHASE retains comparable performance to the state-of-the-art BLUI scheme in image quality, a polyphase filter-based implementation of POLYPHASE offers significant computational savings for arbitrary (not necessarily periodic) input PRF variations, thus allowing fully on-board, in-place, and real-time implementation

Performance factors for airborne short-dwell squinted radar sensors

Millimetre-wave radar in a missile seeker for the engagement of ground targets allows all-weather, day and night, surface imaging and has the ability to detect, classify and geolocate objects at long ranges. The use of a seeker allows intelligent target selection and removes inaccuracies in the target position. The selection of the correct target against a cluttered background in radar imagery is a challenging problem, which is further constrained by the seeker’s hardware and flight-path. This thesis examines how to make better use of the components of radar imagery that support target selection. Image formation for a squinted radar seeker is described, followed by an approach to automatic target recognition. Size and shape information is considered using a model-matching approach that is not reliant on extensive databases of templates, but a limited set of shape-only templates to reject clutter objects. The effects of radar sensitivity on size measurements are then explored to understand seeker operation in poor weather. Size measures cannot easily be used for moving targets, where the target signature is distorted and displaced. The ability to detect, segment and measure vehicle dimensions and velocity from the shadows of moving targets is tested using real and simulated data. The choice of polarisation can affect the quality of measurements and the ability to reject clutter. Data from three different radars is examined to help to understand the performance using linear and circular polarisations. For sensors operating at shorter ranges, the application of elevation monopulse to include target height as a discriminant is tested, showing good potential on simulated data. The combination of these studies offers an insight into the performance factors that influence the design and processing of a radar seeker. The use of shadow imagery on short-dwell radar seeker imagery is an area offering particular promise

Using Shadows to Detect Targets in Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) can generate high resolution imagery of re- mote scenes by combining the phase information of multiple radar pulses along a given path. SAR based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) has the advantage over optical ISR that it can provide usable imagery in adverse weather or nighttime conditions. Certain radar frequencies can even result in foliage or limited soil penetration, enabling imagery to be created of objects of interest that would otherwise be hidden from optical surveillance systems. This thesis demonstrates the capability of locating stationary targets of interest based on the locations of their shadows and the characteristics of pixel intensity distributions within the SAR imagery. Shadows, in SAR imagery, represent the absence of a detectable signal reflection due to the physical obstruction of the transmitted radar energy. An object\u27s shadow indicates its true geospatial location. This thesis demonstrates target detection based on shadow location using three types of target vehicles, each located in urban and rural clutter scenes, from the publicly available Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) data set. The proposed distribution characterization method for detecting shadows demonstrates the capability of isolating distinct regions within SAR imagery and using the junctions between shadow and non-shadow regions to locate individual shadow-casting objects. Targets of interest are then located within that collection of objects with an average detection accuracy rate of 93%. The shadow-based target detection algorithm results in a lower false alarm rate compared to previous research conducted with the same data set, with 71% fewer false alarms for the same clutter region. Utilizing the absence of signal, in conjunction with surrounding signal reflections, provides accurate stationary target detection. This capability could greatly assist in track initialization or the location of otherwise obscured targets of interest

Bistatic Radar Configuration for Soil Moisture Retrieval: Analysis of the Spatial Coverage

Some outcomes of a feasibility analysis of a spaceborne bistatic radar mission for soil moisture retrieval are presented in this paper. The study starts from the orbital design of the configuration suitable for soil moisture estimation identified in a previous study. This configuration is refined according to the results of an analysis of the spatial resolution. The paper focuses on the assessment of the spatial coverage i.e., on the verification that an adequate overlap between the footprints of the antennas is ensured and on the duty cycle, that is the fraction of orbital period during which the bistatic data are acquired. A non-cooperating system is considered, in which the transmitter is the C-band Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar aboard Envisat. The best performances in terms of duty cycle are achieved if the transmitter operates in Wide Swath Mode. The higher resolution Image Swath Modes that comply with the selected configuration have a duty cycle that is never less than 12% and can exceed 21%. When Envisat operates in Wide Swath Mode, the bistatic system covers a wide latitude range across the equator, while in some of the Image Swath Modes, the bistatic measurements, collected from the same orbit, cover mid-latitude areas. In the latter case, it might be possible to achieve full coverage in an Envisat orbit repeat cycle, while, for a very large latitude range such as that covered in Wide Swath Mode, bistatic acquisitions could be obtained over about 65% of the area

Radar Technology

In this book “Radar Technology”, the chapters are divided into four main topic areas: Topic area 1: “Radar Systems” consists of chapters which treat whole radar systems, environment and target functional chain. Topic area 2: “Radar Applications” shows various applications of radar systems, including meteorological radars, ground penetrating radars and glaciology. Topic area 3: “Radar Functional Chain and Signal Processing” describes several aspects of the radar signal processing. From parameter extraction, target detection over tracking and classification technologies. Topic area 4: “Radar Subsystems and Components” consists of design technology of radar subsystem components like antenna design or waveform design

Time-frequency, bi-frequency detector analysis of noise technology radar

Enemy integrated air defense systems (IADS) using low probability of intercept (LPI) emitters can cause significant problems for suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) techniques. New threat emitter configurations using low-power random noise modulation have a significant processing gain unavailable to non-cooperative intercept receivers. Consequently, the detection of these emitters can not be accomplished with conventional intercept receiver detection methods. This thesis examines the use of time-frequency, bi-frequency signal detection techniques to identify the parameters of the four types of continuous waveform noise radar recently reported. These include: (a) random noise, (b) noise plus frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW), (c) noise FMCW plus sine and (d) random binary phase modulation. Quadrature mirror filtering for wavelet decomposition is used to investigate the four types of noise signals in order to extract the signal parameters. The FFT accumulation method for estimating the spectral correlation density function is also used to examine the cyclostationary bi-frequency properties of the waveforms. In addition, the periodic autocorrelation function and periodic ambiguity function are studied to determine the waveform properties in the delay- Doppler offset domain. Results show that non-cooperative intercept receivers can increase their processing gain using these types of signal processing techniques providing a more efficient response time to the threat.http://archive.org/details/timefrequencybif10945263