Generalized ISAR--part II: interferometric techniques for three-dimensional location of scatterers

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Signal Processing
• Naval Technology and Maritime Surveillance

Background:

• Accurate identification of radio-frequency scatterers on large naval vessels is crucial for diagnostic Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) studies.
• Previous work established modes for interpreting ISAR plots based on dominant Doppler returns (roll or aspect angle).

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize diagnostic ISAR studies for large naval vessels by developing advanced scatterer localization techniques.
• To introduce novel interferometric ISAR (InSAR) methods that handle simultaneous Doppler returns from roll and aspect angle changes.

Main Methods:

• Development of generalized ISAR techniques to accommodate simultaneous Doppler returns from roll and aspect angle variations.
• Introduction of two corresponding interferometric ISAR (InSAR) techniques: aspect-angle dominated InSAR and roll-angle dominated InSAR.
• Integration of precise ship position and orientation data with specialized signal processing for scatterer positioning.

Main Results:

• The proposed methods accurately determine the positions of significant radio-frequency scatterers on naval vessels.
• Aspect-angle dominated InSAR generalizes standard InSAR, while roll-angle dominated InSAR represents a novel approach.
• Simulations demonstrate the efficiency of both InSAR techniques in identifying localized scatterers.

Conclusions:

• The developed generalized ISAR and InSAR techniques significantly enhance the diagnostic capabilities for large naval vessels.
• These advanced methods provide accurate scatterer localization, even with complex Doppler signatures.
• The novel roll-angle dominated InSAR offers a new tool for analyzing naval vessel radar signatures.