Estimation of target position and velocity using data from multiple radar stations

By using high resolution range information from multiple radar stations in monostatic or bistatic modes, the position estimates can be highly improved compared with conventional measurements from a single radar. In this paper, fundamental geometry relationships and the possible accuracy of target position and velocity estimates are analyzed when data from several radars are combined. The velocity error is proportional to the wavelength and the Doppler resolution, which is limited by the available time of measurement. The estimation error increases when the radars are close, or when the target is close to the radar level surface. For ground stations, the accuracy in estimated target altitude is usually significantly lower than the position data in the horizontal plane. Examples and simulation results are presented, displaying the performance of three radars working in bistatic and monostatic modes. The analysis is generalized to an arbitrary number of radar stations.