Ionospheric clutter mitigation using one-dimensional or two-dimensional wavelet processing

Ionospheric clutter mitigation is an important issue for high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) signal processing. Clutter results from a sky wave propagation mode, which is backscattered by ionospheric ionisation irregularities. The random behaviour and the high strength of clutter signals can strongly limit the HFSWR detection capabilities. Here, an ionospheric clutter mitigation processing using wavelets is described. This new approach is founded on the ability of wavelets to separate signals having different variation scales or different directions of variations. The results obtained on real clutter signals with simulated targets are reported. Using the proposed method, one can expect, at mid-latitude, an improvement of the target-to-clutter ratio of 20-30-dB.