Joint target tracking and classification using radar and ESM sensors

Bayesian target classification methods using radar and electronic support measure (ESM) data are considered. A joint treatment of target tracking and target classification problems is introduced. First, a method for target classification using radar data and class-dependent kinematic models is presented. Second, a target classification method using ESM data is presented. Then, a Bayesian radar and ESM data fusion algorithm, referred to as direct identity fusion (DIF), for target classification is presented. This algorithm exploits the dependence of target state on target class via the use of class dependent kinematic models but fails to exploit the dependence of target class on target state. We then introduce a method, referred to as joint tracking and classification (JTC), for treating target tracking and classification problems jointly, by exploiting the dependence of target class on target state via flight-envelope-dependent classes and the dependence of target state on target class via class dependent kinematic models. A two-dimensional example demonstrates the relative merits of these methods. It is shown that, while the incorporation of the two-way dependence between target state and class (i.e., JTC) promises some benefits over the method that incorporates only a one-way dependence (i.e., DIF), there are severe filter implementation difficulties for the former. The results also demonstrate that the fusion of information from radar and ESM sensors via the DIF approach results in improvements over classification methods based on either of the individual sensors.