Towards Cognitive Radar via Knowledge Aided Processing for Airborne and Ground based Radar Applications

The operational benefits of fully adaptive and Knowledge Aided (KA) processing approaches are discussed for airborne as well as for ground based Radar applications. The advantages of combining different a priori, prior internal and external information from Digital Elevation Models and sources such as Open Street Map are pointed out and demonstrated with real data acquired from Hensoldt's Air Traffic Control Radar ASR. Real-time Space Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) effects on clutter inhomogeneities are presented on data acquired from Hensoldt's Air-to-Ground SmartRadar AESA Pod system and how to mitigate them via KA-STAP approaches. The necessities of software defined Radar as provided by Hensoldt's new ISR Radar family PrecISR™ along with KA resource management are outlined as prerequisites towards cognitive Radar.