High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Radar Imaging for Rapidly Spinning Targets

A 3-D inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging method for rapidly spinning targets, i.e., a generalized Radon transform (GRT)-CLEAN algorithm, is proposed in this paper. The signal model is first changed into an equivalent high-speed turntable model after the compensation of the translational motion. Second, based on the relationship between the range profile variation of the spinning targets and the scatterers' positions, the GRT is utilized to estimate the scatterers' positions. Finally, combining the GRT with the modified CLEAN approach, the parameters of each scatterer and, thus, the 3-D image of the targets can be obtained. In addition to the development of the GRT-CLEAN algorithm, the estimation and compensation of the linear translational motion error in the imaging process is also considered in this paper. Good images yielded confirm the effectiveness of the GRT-CLEAN algorithm in the simulations.