Matching score properties between range profiles of high-resolution radar targets

In this paper, how the statistical properties of the matching scores are affected by the carrier frequency, the aspect variation, the range resolution, and the target complexity are studied. The statistical parameters (mean and standard deviation) of the matching scores among range profiles of independent objects are derived, and their values are used as references to determine the threshold values for target identification. It is found that the range profile obtained at a certain carrier frequency can also be used as the feature vector for radars operated at shifted frequencies if the range resolution is fine enough or the target is simple. It is also found that a radar with higher range resolution can tolerate more aspect variation, yielding a significant advantage in saving memory space for establishing the data base. The results obtained can have several applications such as target identification, data association in multiple target tracking, and target direction determination when widely-spaced high-resolution radars are employed.