Iterative Generalized-Likelihood Ratio Test for MIMO Radar

We consider a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system where both the transmitter and receiver have multiple well-separated subarrays with each subarray containing closely spaced antennas. Because of this general antenna configuration, both the coherent processing gain and the spatial diversity gain can be simultaneously achieved. We compare several spatial spectral estimators, including Capon and APES, for target detection and parameter estimation. We introduce a generalized-likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and a conditional generalized-likelihood ratio test (cGLRT) for the general antenna configuration. Based on GLRT and cGLRT, we then propose an iterative GLRT (iGLRT) procedure for target detection and parameter estimation. Via several numerical examples, we show that iGLRT can provide excellent detection and estimation performance at a low computational cost