A Method of Target Tracking in Doppler Blind Zone Based on Multiple-Hypothesis Motion Model

Airborne early warning radar, which adopts pulse Doppler (PD) system, has good detection performance for low altitude targets, but the problem about Doppler blind zone (DBZ) can´t be ignored. In the process of target tracking, the blind zone causes track termination and new initiation of track easily. Considering the problem of continuous target tracking in Doppler Blind Zone, a target tracking method based on multiple-hypothesis motion model (MHMM) is proposed. The method produces multiple possible motion models according to target state constraint set by DBZ. Once the first measurement after the reappearance of the target from DBZ falls into correlation gate formed according to any a model, the track association is successful. The simulation results show that the method is effective in continuous target tracking on the condition of DBZ, even for large DBZ range and high target maneuverability, the method can still complete track association in DBZ, which accordingly implements continuous target tracking.