Advanced Azimuth Estimation Techniques

The short radar sensor baseline and low RF frequencies required to penetrate foliage on typical UHF GMTI radars cause the azimuth extent of the main beam to be quite large, producing large azimuth error ellipses that limit the target location accuracies that these systems can achieve. Since accurate target location in both the range and azimuth dimensions is desired to support precision location, targeting, and tracking of enemy targets utilizing camouflage and concealment tactics, future UHF GMTI systems need to devise innovative ways to limit these large azimuth errors. This Phase I SBIR will investigate, analyze, and present various innovative approaches to achieving improved azimuth angle estimation from UHF GMTI radar systems onboard rotorcraft air vehicles by using a combination of monostatic, bistatic, and multilateration techniques. Computer simulations will be used to evaluate the performance of the various azimuth estimation techniques, which will employ adaptive and superresolution methods. The effectiveness of monostatic, bistatic, and multilateration techniques will be compared, and the most promising techniques will be identified. Radar measurements of the moving targets including range, Doppler, and angle of arrival will be exploited to improve the azimuth angle estimates for these UHF GMTI radars.