A detection technique for sea targets in coastal radars

A matter of particular concern in the design of a coastal radar is the detection of ships. While their large cross section is of help in the detection process, their speed range, i.e. their spectral content, is not, because it is not very unlike from the embedding clutter. The problem can then be stated as consisting in the proper choice of the detection threshold setting mechanism: it has to correctly estimate the clutter power without being fooled by returns other than clutter, e.g. ship echoes. Following a brief explanation of clutter maps operation and self masking, a new detection technique based on an adaptive updating feedback integrator is introduced. Its performance as a remedy against selfmasking is then evaluated both in a clutter-dominated and in a noise-dominated environment