Adaptive MFR parameter control: fixed against variable probabilities of detection

An efficient adaptive parameter control scheme for multi-function radar is used here. The scheme has been designed in such a way that it meets constraints on specific quantities that are relevant for target tracking while minimising the energy spent on a target or track. It is shown here that this efficient scheme leads to a considerable variation of the realised detection probability, even within a single scenario. The authors also show that constraining or fixing the probability of detection to a certain predefined value leads to a considerable increase in the energy spent on the target. This holds even when one optimises the fixed probability of detection. The bottom line message is that the detection probability is not a design parameter by itself, but merely the product of an optimal schedule.