Analysis of radar detection performance for low altitude small target

Radar usually employs several signal processing methods successively for detection. Each processing step influences the radar detection performance. Thus, analysis of the radar detection performance considering the complete signal processing flow provides significant reference for radar detector design. In this paper, with the assumption that matched filtering, square-law detection, non-coherent integration, cell averaging constant false alarm rate detection and double-threshold detection are employed sequentially for radar detection, radar detection performance in K distributed sea clutter plus Rayleigh distributed thermal noise is analyzed. Mathematical expressions of radar false alarm probability and detection probability are derived. Radar detection performances for four types of Swerling fluctuating targets in various circumstances are presented by simulation. And comprehensive effect of K distributed sea clutter plus Rayleigh distributed thermal noise on radar detection performance is analyzed.