Waveform Design and Diversity for Advanced Radar Systems

In recent years, various algorithms for radar signal design, that rely heavily upon complicated processing and/or antenna architectures, have been suggested. These techniques owe their genesis to several factors, including revolutionary technological advances (new flexible waveform generators, high speed signal processing hardware, digital array radar technology, etc.) and the stressing performance requirements, often imposed by defence applications in areas such as airborne early warning and homeland security. Increasingly complex operating scenarios calls for sophisticated algorithms with the ability to adapt and diversify dynamically the waveform to the operating environment in order to achieve a performance gain over classic radar waveforms. Thus, for example, a modern multifunction phased array radar can adapt the waveform, dwell time and update interval according to the nature of the particular target, e.g. the likely type of target, the clutter environment, the signal-to-noise ratio, the threat that it may represent and the degree to which it is manoeuvring. This is essentially the subject of waveform diversity. This new flexibility demands new ways of characterising waveform properties and optimising waveform design. This ability is very critical in increasing our objective performance as the ability will match the transmission waveform to the transmission environment and the sensing objective. This is the first book, in which several quintessential concepts inherent to the application of waveform design and diversity for advanced radar detection, tracking, and classification are brought together.