Radar Mode Design for Optimal Detection, Tracking, and Identification of Time Critical Targets

"The Air Force and DARPA have devoted an enormous effort to the data acquisition, signal processing, and signature exploitation of stationary and moving ground targets as seen from airborne radar sensors. This previous work has, for the most part,concentrated on conventional radar modes and well established target signature features. However, to our knowledge, the research community has not looked at first principles of radar mode design to understand how the radar mode can be set up to optimallyproduce signature derived information for battlefield intelligence objectives. The objective of this research program is to investigate this fundamental question and understand how radar modes can be designed to optimally produce signature derivedinformation for satisfying battlefield intelligence objectives. In this work we will extend the scope of previous work in signature exploitation and consider higher level battlefield intelligence objectives while, at the same time, optimizing the radarmode characteristics for satisfying those intelligence objectives. Commercial benefits of the proposed research include all applications of detection and identification of moving and stationary targets using high resolution radar systems. Theseapplications include detection and tracking of planes and ground vehicles at airports for safety purposes, detecting and tracking of cars and trucks on highways for track flow analysis and safety, detection an