Multistatic radar detection: synthesis and comparison of optimum and suboptimum receivers

Abstract

The paper deals with the design and performance evaluation of optimum and suboptimum multistatic radar receivers. Several detection schemes are considered according to the possible models for the wanted signal: completely known; random phase; Rayleigh amplitude and random phase; and one-dominant-plus-Rayleigh amplitude and random phase. The inherent complexity of the multistatic structure may be alleviated by resorting to a simplified scheme suggested here which envisages a number of peripheral decisions in as many conventional receivers, followed by a central decision based on an OR criterion. The latter design admittedly yields a suboptimum receiver, but an assessment of its performance shows the existence of a wide range of operating conditions of practical engineering interest where performance degradation with respect to the optimum receiver is negligible.