A site-specific radar simulator for clutter modelling in VTS systems

A general site-specific method is used to predict land/sea clutter strengths for low-angle monostatic radars involved in vessel traffic services (VTS). In order to characterise each specific environment and solve the electromagnetic problem, the simulation tool makes use of physical optics (PO), in particular the Kirchhoff approximation, and digital terrain models (DTM), and provides both the plan position indicator (PPI) clutter map and the A-scope power versus range or time profile. A data-acquisition system consisting of a commercial maritime radar and an A/D converter is used to validate the developed software by comparison between simulations and measurements in the same environments. Some specific results for a maritime scenario, both measurements and simulations, are discussed and finally, a statistical analysis of the simulated clutter is presented.