An Improved Detecting Algorithm of Moving Targets for Airborne Maritime Surveillance Radar

The traditional method is capable of detecting and tracking stationary and slow-moving targets in a sea surface environment. However, the signal focusing capability of such a method could be greatly reduced especially for those variable-speed targets. To solve this problem, a novel tracking algorithm combining range envelope alignment and azimuth phase filtering is proposed. In this method, the motion of the airborne maritime surveillance radar platform is firstly compensated for target echoes. Secondly, range envelope alignment is performed to correct the unpredictable range migration of the target after pulse compression. The higher-order phase difference between the adjacent pulses is estimated and compensated. Ultimately, such pulse series are accumulated through azimuth Fourier transform. Traditional methods compensate only for platform motion, limiting their ability to handle variable-speed targets. The proposed algorithm addresses this limitation by compensating for both platform and target motion, significantly improving signal focusing and tracking accuracy. A detailed analysis shows that our algorithm can significantly increase the signal accumulating gain and improve the focusing effect. The simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.