STAP Processing Without noise-only reference: requirements and solutions

In presence of non-stationary clutter or jamming, estimation of the characteristics of noise from signals received_in adjacent range gates is no more efficient, and processing must be defined based exclusively on the samples received in the range cell under test. In this paper, we first review the requirements for STAP processing, highlighting the importance of non-stationary clutter. We then derive a robust noise-only reference procedure, and demonstrate its efficiency with new experimental results from an airborne X-band monopulse radar. In conclusion, other approaches of STAP processing without noise-only reference are briefly described, and the requirement for further work on CFAR detection for these applications is emphasized.