An overview of space-time adaptive processing for airborne radars

Space-time adaptive processing (STAP) is a joint angle-Doppler domain filtering technique developed for minimizing the effects of various kinds of interference on target detection. That is, the angle-Doppler response pattern of a STAP based system can be adapted to the very complicated varying interference environment of airborne radar. This paper provides an overview of major issues in STAP development and its current status, with an emphasis on its surveillance application. For convenience of discussion, only the side-mounted aperture and uniform PRF are considered. The interference power spectral and range distributions are illustrated.