Time delay estimation issues for target detection and transmitter identification in multistatic radars

Abstract

Time delay estimation (TDE) is an active research area due to its importance in a wide range of applications, such as target detection and transmitter identification. At present, the majority of the radar systems are using multistatic architecture because of its improved detection and tracking performance. In multistatic radar systems, where more than one transmitter and receivers are deployed, it is a challenging task to separate multiple echoes at the receiver to estimate the required parameters and identify the number of transmitters. The delay estimation process becomes more complicated when closely spaced multiple targets are involved in the detection process. In this study, various issues associated with conventional matched filtering-based target detection techniques are investigated in terms of nonlinear time-frequency representation with ambiguity function and cross-ambiguity functions. The problems of delay estimation and cross-range resolution are analyzed through simulations in a multistatic radar system.