Adaptive radar detection in the presence of mutual coupling and near-field effects

Abstract

The problem of adaptive radar detection in the presence of near-field and mutual coupling effects – two phenomena which may significantly affect the radar performance – is considered. To this end, the generalised likelihood ratio test criterion is used (both one-step and two-step) and adaptive decision rules capable of operating in realistic scenarios are devised, where the far-field hypothesis can be no longer met and the mutual coupling is present. At the analysis stage, the performance of the proposed detectors is evaluated through Montecarlo simulations. The results show that appreciable performance improvements can be obtained if near-field and mutual coupling effects are properly accounted for at the design stage.