Linear and nonlinear spatial selection methods for small low speed target in sea clutter observation improvement

In the process of detection of small surface objects in clutter, some specific problems appear. The main cause is the fact that useful signal amplitude is commensurable and in some cases is less than the amplitude of reflections. Most of all, for slow surface objects the desired signal spectrum is situated inside the sea clutter one. In that case, both spectral and amplitude selection and detection methods become ineffective. As is known, signal reflected from the sea surface is characterised by spatial periodic structure. At the same time, sizes of most surface objects do not exceed a radar resolution element and they can be considered as dotted ones. Therefore, to improve radar observation of small objects in sea clutter, it is possible to use information about noise spatial performances. The usage of spatial periodicity of sea-echoes allows one to improve efficiency of the small low speed targets in sea clutter observations.