Enhanced Non-Cooperative Target Recognition

Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) is a method for assessing the potential threatfulness of targets within a potentially dense surveillance space at long range.Ā The fusion of measurements from multiple radar modes facilitates the determination of a more comprehensive set of target characteristics such that an informed assessment of each targetÆs threat level can be made.Ā In particular, the inclusion of surveillance mode track information provides target speed and altitude, High Range Resolution (HRR) or Snapshot ISAR (SS-ISAR) provides gross physical features, and analysis of ISAR/SAR data provides information regarding the locations of larger physical features and micro-Doppler signatures corresponding to rotating features. This information can be combined to assess the threat level of a target in real-time. However, the accumulation of information about the target from multiple radar modes must be balanced with resource utilization and minimization of the probability of intercept.Ā Therefore, it is necessary to be able to assess the value of each radar mode to the fielded NCTR system. The increased use of mid-sized UASÆs capable of carrying compact radar sensors provides an opportunity to improve situational awareness by designing NCTR radar modes for these systems and implementing maritime target classification algorithms in a manner suitable for the size of the compute resources available on these smaller platforms.ĀRDRTec proposes to leverage and expand on our ISAR mode implementations and Automated Combatant Vessel Classifier (ACVC) product to create an instantiation suitable for ōedgeö implementation on mid-sized UASÆs.ĀRDRTecÆs ISAR mode has previously been delivered and integrated into multiple DoD radar systems (details are classified) and ACVC is in the process of being integrated in AAS, P-8A, and Triton.