Improved performance of a subsurface radar target identification system through antenna design

Improved identification performance of a video pulse subsurface radar system is reported. The video pulse system, which utilizes complex natural resonances of the target and a prediction correlation processing, is improved in comparison to the system reported previously by better fitting the system bandwidth to the bandwidth which contains the complex natural resonances of the desired target. The antenna and associated hardware modifications to achieve this are described. Identification performance of the modified system is given using actual buried land mine-like targets. Significant improvement of the quality of the received waveforms and hence the signal-to-clutter ratio is obtained. Potential further improvement is discussed. This may be achieved by removing the natural resonance associated with the antenna from the data prior to the application of the predictor correlator.