Open AccessAssessment of RCS-specific SNR and Loglikelihood Function in Detecting Low-observable Targets and Drones Illuminated by a Low Probability of Intercept Radar Operating in Littoral Regions
Author(s) -
Perambur S. Neelakanta,
Dolores De Groff
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
transactions on networks and communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2054-7420
DOI - 10.14738/tnc.94.10512
Subject(s) - radar , drone , radar tracker , low probability of intercept radar , radar cross section , computer science , track before detect , remote sensing , radar imaging , tracking (education) , range (aeronautics) , signal to noise ratio (imaging) , radar engineering details , geology , telecommunications , aerospace engineering , engineering , psychology , pedagogy , genetics , biology
The objective of this study is to deduce signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based loglikelihood function involved in detecting low-observable targets (LoTs) including drones Illuminated by a low probability of intercept (LPI) radar operating in littoral regions. Detecting obscure targets and drones and tracking them in near-shore ambient require ascertaining signal-related track-scores determined as a function of radar cross section (RCS) of the target. The stochastic aspects of the RCS depend on non-kinetic features of radar echoes due to target-specific (geometry and material) characteristics; as well as, the associated radar signals signify randomly-implied, kinetic signatures inasmuch as, the spatial aspects of the targets fluctuate significantly as a result of random aspect-angle variations caused by self-maneuvering and/or by remote manipulations (as in drones). Hence, the resulting mean RCS value would decide the SNR and loglikelihood ratio (LR) of radar signals gathered from the echoes and relevant track-scores decide the performance capabilities of the radar. A specific study proposed here thereof refers to developing computationally- tractable algorithm(s) towards detecting and tracking hostile LoTs and/or drones flying at low altitudes over the sea (at a given range, R) in littoral regions by an LPI radar. Estimation of relevant detection-theoretic parameters and decide track-scores in terms of maximum likelihood (ML) estimates are presented and discussed.