A Novel Target Maneuver Detection Technique with Range Rate Measurement

We propose a novel target maneuver detection technique using radar measurement including range rate for tracking and surveillance systems to reliably indicate the presence and magnitude of target maneuvers. There are several innovative elements in our approach: 1) a reliable test statistic indicating target maneuver and guaranteed quickest detection; 2) incorporating maneuver detection algorithm into tracker design to improve tracking accuracy during target maneuver; 3) quantitative measure of the benefit in using range rate measurement for maneuver detection and target tracking for E-2C s operational scenarios; 4) a multi-sensor fusion technique to enhance the reliability of maneuver detection. A generalized Page s test, using a target acceleration statistic obtained from range, bearing and range rate measurement, and utilizing a bank of cumulative sum tests, will be used to detect target maneuver and magnitude. The test provides the shortest detection delay under given false alarm constraint and does not require the exact target maneuver model. A measurement conversion technique will treat the range rate as a linear measurement in Cartesian coordinates so that standard Kalman filter can be used in the tracker design. The approach is computationally efficient and avoids using the extended Kalman filter to incorporate the range rate measurement.