Moving Target Indication Radar Architectures for Tactical Targets in Foliage

The detection and tracking of slow to moderate speed ground moving targets with a foliage penetration radar operating on a UAV such as a Global Hawk will require an endo-clutter signal processing capability. A concept is proposed that utilizes a suite of both conventional algorithms and innovative techniques to form the requisite signal processing architecture. Among the algorithms in the proposed architecture are displaced phase center antenna (DPCA) processing, polar format processing, complex indicated angle (CIA) processing, frame-by-frame subtraction processing using clutter return estimates from SAR map data, Hough transform processing and contextual target tracking. DPCA and CIA will allow the system to operate with signal-to-clutter ratios of less than 0 dB. The GMTI concept that is proposed is designed to work simultaneously with a high resolution SAR mapping mode. The concept could also be used in a space-based radar or in a ground-based intrusion detection system. The GMTI algorithms and system architecture will be developed during the Phase I program. During the follow-on Phase 2 effort, the signal processing architecture will be formalized and installed under a Khoros-based system such as the AFRL/Rome RLSTAP/ASSET algorithm development tools. Simulated data will first be used to validate the software. Pseudo-real-time processing would then be demonstrated using data collected by P-band radars such as the U.S. Navy P-3 UWB SAR, GeoSAR, AIRSAR and the Lockheed Martin ATD system.