Small boat detection with along-track interferometric SAR

Along-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements of a small fiberglass-hull boat were made in various wind and wave conditions and for different measurement geometries and boat speeds. The data collected show three different cases: 1) the boat signature is visible both in the backscattered power and interferometric phase images; 2) the boat signature is visible only in the interferometric phase image, and 3) the boat signature is not visible in either image. From a preliminary analysis of the data, we conclude that the angle between radar look direction and the nominal velocity vector of the boat significantly affects boat detection. The worst cases for detection are when those vectors are collinear or oppositely directed. The best detection cases appear to be for the case, when boat velocity vector and radar look direction are orthogonal or when the boat is stationary.