Scattering Center Representation for HRR Database Portability

Cyberdynamics Incorporated is proposing research to explore and demonstrate the benefits of using scattering center (SC) models as the primary information input of HRR aircraft signature databases and aircraft identification algorithms.  Techniques of model-based scattering center extraction from complex range profiles will be studied and demonstrated.  The portability of SC model representations is demonstrated by comparison of SC models obtained from different range profile representations.  Direct methods of SC model range alignment and comparison will be demonstrated.  The ability of the SC method to remove the coherent speckle noise inherent in complex range profile data from coherent sensors will be shown by comparing the variability of the extracted SC models with the variability of the source range profiles. BENEFIT: The proposed work will benefit the Air Force and their contractors by demonstrating the advantages of the scattering center representation of high range resolution radar echoes as compared to the more conventional range profile representation. It will show how this approach can improved database portability, reduce database size, and reduce or eliminate aircraft identification system performance degradation due to signature variability caused by coherent speckle. The commercial applications of the proposed work include the automatic sensing of linear features such as pipes in ground penetrating radar applications.