Practical Approach to Radar Detection Performance for NCI System

In noncoherent integration (NCI) radar systems, analyzing detection probability is a basis for designing and evaluating the system performance. Most previous studies have approached it with a complex integrand: a joint probability distribution function of signal components. In calculating the detection probability of NCI systems, some numerical computation techniques are essential in the numerical integration process. The calculation becomes even more intricate when the system considers complex clutter or propagation environment, as well as additive white Gaussian noise. This letter discusses a practical approach to estimate radar detection performance without using complicated numerical methods. This is based on the ideas of how the mixed signal sample follows sample mean properties and central limit theorem under the NCI system. Some comparisons are given against the Swerling II case of target fluctuation and compound sea clutter. The result shows how much this approach is practically applicable in design and analysis of the NCI system.