Benefits of high resolution SAR for ATR of targets in proximity

Abstract

In this work we present a new extraction and matching algorithms that enable to perform automatic target recognition (ATR) in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and targets in proximity. Our motivation was to show benefits of high-resolution SAR for ATR and extend the current capabilities of ATR algorithms for targets in extended operating conditions (EOCs), for example, targets in proximity. We develop a new extraction algorithm for target signatures represented by a point pattern. Each point pattern is extracted using a resolution independent SAR peak model. Test and prototype target signatures are compared with a new matching algorithm. The matching algorithm is capable of identifying multiple signatures in a test point pattern. An experimental evaluation of ATR performance for targets in proximity at multiple data resolution is conducted. The contribution of this work is in (a) developing a peak extraction algorithm that uses a resolution independent SAR peak model, (b) designing a new matching algorithm that can identify multiple signatures in a single test pattern, (c) evaluating ATR performance for targets in proximity at multiple data resolutions.