Develop Novel Concepts for Continuous Ground Moving Target Surveillance

Military commanders rely on systems that provide wide area intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). These systems detect and track ground moving targets (GMTI/T) and they generate high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of selected areas. The combination of these two modes has become a key ingredient in maintaining situational awareness throughout the battlefield, particularly in our global war against international terrorists. While existing operational systems are capable of running both GMTI/T and SAR modes, they cannot run them simultaneously. Typically one mode is stopped and the other mode is started and resulting in losing the high value target track. This SBIR will develop and implement operational radar modes to maintain surveillance of the local area while keeping precision track of high value targets that move, stop for a while, and then move again. This information will provide local commanders with the capability to continuously monitor and maintain tracks on high value targets, while maintaining situational awareness, to effectively engage these targets if the situation warrants.