Performance characterization of STAP algorithms with mismatched steering and clutter statistics

Adaptive algorithms for receivers employing antenna arrays have received significant attention for radar systems applications. We present exact expressions for the space-time adaptive processing (STAP) algorithm performance when the covariance matrix of the test cell is different from the average covariance matrix of the surrounding range cells. Numerical evaluation of these expressions illustrates the probability of detection and the probability of false alarm for various cases of interest. The equations are utilized to determine an upper bound on the performance of a class of STAP algorithms.