Forward Looking Radar

<p>This research characterizes forward looking radar performance while noting differences with traditionally examined side looking radar. The target detection problem for forward looking radar is extremely difficult due to the severe heterogeneous and range dependent ground clutter. Consequently forward looking radar detection represents an important but overlooked topic because of the increased difficulty compared to side looking radar. This void must be filled since most fighter aircraft use forward looking radar making this topic intensely interesting to the Air Force. After characterizing forward looking radar performance basic radar concepts along with advanced adaptive interference suppression techniques improve the output Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and target detection rates using fixed false alarm for linear arrays. However target detection probabilities and output SINR do not improve enough. Although the methods considered are adaptive in azimuth and Doppler effective range ambiguous clutter mitigation requires elevation adaptivity a feature not offered by linear arrays. The research continues by examining planar arrays. Elevation adaptivity combined with azimuth and Doppler adaptivity allows suppressing range ambiguous clutter and significantly increasing output SINR detection probability and max-imum detection range. Specifically three-dimensional Space-Time Adaptive Processing (3DSTAP) techniques with adaptivity in elevation azimuth and Doppler achieve detection probability improvements of over 10 dB in required input SINR compared to two-dimensional (2D) STAP processing. Additionally 3D STAP improves detection probability versus input SINR curves over 30 dB when compared to 2D conventional processing techniques. As a result forward looking radars using 3D STAP have the capacity to detect targets that conventional processing might miss.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>