Multi-path Data Association for Over-the-Horizon Radar Using Linear Multitarget Integrated Probabilistic Data Association

In over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) applications, one target can generate multiple detections due to the multiple signal propagation paths through the ionosphere. Traditional joint multiple detection data association algorithms suffer from the high computational load when they are applied to OTHR. Different from the traditional joint multiple detection data association structures, a novel scheme is developed based on the modulated clutter measurement density. When a measurement cell, which contains one or more measurements, is associated to a track, the proposed scheme considers not only the possibility that this measurement cell is generated by clutter but also the possibility that this measurement cell is generated from other targets. Using the modulated clutter measurement density, a single target data association structure can be applied to multitarget data association. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is much more computationally efficient compared to the traditional joint multiple detection joint data association structures.