A multi-scale and adaptive Track-Before-Detect technique for maritime environments

Track-Before-Detect (TBD) is a detection technique that simultaneously tracks and detects a target. The technique is specially useful for targets whose back-scattered return is significantly lower than the surrounding noise and background environments. Different algorithms proposed to perform TBD include particle filter, dynamic programming and Hough transform algorithms have been proposed. These techniques work well in a highly noise environment with constant velocity targets. However, some of these techniques are not applicable to targets that have acceleration as well as targets embedded in sea clutter. In this paper, we present a beamlet track-before-detect technique for maritime detection. Due to the sea clutter, two different adaptive sea clutter filtering methods are applied before the aforementioned TBD technique. Overall, the paper introduces and studies a beamlet TBD technique for maneuverable maritime targets in sea clutter.