Application experience on radar networking and data fusion principles

Multi-sensor data fusion is a key processing architecture for both defense and civilian application systems. By means of (i) suitable fusion algorithms applied to data from heterogeneous sensors and (ii) an optimal sensor management policy, it is possible to obtain better performance than achievable with either single or homogeneous sensors. While the concept of data fusion is not new, the emergence of new sensors, advanced processing techniques, powerful processing hardware and adequate man-machine interface, make real-time fusion of data increasingly profitable and operationally valuable.