Enhanced Visual Display System Employing Intelligent Data Fusion for Teleoperation

Not Available The application of space-time adaptive processing (STAP) to circular antenna arrays presents additional challenges when compared to the ideal case of a linear array oriented along the aircraft velocity vector. This is primarily due to the fact that the spatial characteristics of the radar returns depend on two cone angles, rather than one for the linear array. This increases the clutter rank and also introduces range de-pendence to the covariance matrix of clutter at a particular Doppler frequency. Thus, when covariance estimation is performed through range averaging, an error exists that affects the STAP performance. The challenges become greater when one includes effects such as aircraft interference and mutual coupling. The proposed research will provide greater insight as to how the differences between radar returns in cir-cular arrays and linear arrays impact the various components of STAP algorithms. Novel adaptive signal processing approaches that overcome the challenges present in the circular array problem will be investi- gated. These techniques will lead to STAP algorithms that provide both enhanced mitigation of clutter and ECM, and enhanced target detectability over conventional STAP approaches. Three basic compo-nents of STAP processing will be investigated: 1) Pre- processing techniques, 2) Covariance matrix esti-mation and 3) Weight formation. The causes of performance degradation of conventional STAP algo-rithms in circular arrays will be investigated and will be related to particular aspects of the target, clutter and jamming returns. Different techniques in each of the three components of STAP algorithms will be examined and their impact on the performance of the algorithms in different scenarios employing circular arrays determined. A table of promising techniques versus their performance impact and processing load requirements will be generated.