Ship detection from full polarimetric SAR data at different incidence angles

In order to achieve higher temporal resolution for ocean surveillance system, it is essentially required to extract uniform information from various sensing situations. In this paper, we introduced Three Component Scattering Model for a Ship on the Sea (TCMSS), which provides us theoretical fundamentals with various parameters such as wavelength, incidence angle, and polarization. Then experimental validation using L-band Pi-SAR by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was conducted under well controlled situation. Finally we found that signal-clutter ratio must be maximized at around 50 degree when the ship runs parallel to the platform. Also the co-polarization ratio at near range around 20 degree must be useful to estimate material of a ship.