Angular Tracking of Two Closely Spaced Radar Targets

Abstract

Bounds on the accuracy of unbiased estimates of the angular coordinates of a target, in the presence of a nearby interfering target, have previously been determined. These bounds allow for the angular resolution of two CW targets to an extent limited only by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). An SNR of 40 dB will allow two targets to be resolved at less than one-fifth beamwidth (λ/2 X) separation, for most values of target relative phase angles. The maximum-likelihood estimator for this problem, based on the outputs of a plane circular array of receiving elements, is found and simplified. An analog realization of the two-target maximum-likeli-hood processor is presented. This realization has the simple form of two single-target trackers each tracking one of the targets, linked by a decoupling network which accounts for the interference produced in each by the presence of a second target, when the targets are separated by less than a beamwidth. Results of an analog-computer simulation of the system are given and discussed. Finally an application to the finite-size single-target problem is given.