A hierarchical MHT approach to ESM-radar fusion

This paper describes a fusion architecture that enables multi-level object tracking. The motivation is provided by the fusion of active and passive data, where multiple passive contacts may originate from the same platform at a given time. This poses a significant challenge to those target-tracking algorithms that are based on the assumption that each sensor provides at most one contact per target per scan or processing interval. For example, while each object has a unique radar return (except when considering extended objects with multiple reflectors), multiple passive contacts may arise when multiple emitter modes are onboard. Simulation results demonstrate the potential of the proposed architecture.