Forward scatter radar: innovative configurations and studies

This thesis is dedicated to the study of innovative forward scatter radar (FSR) configurations and techniques. FSR is a specific kind of bistatic radar having bistatic angle equal or close to 180˚. The goal of this PhD project is to investigate techniques and configurations which would improve FSR performance, making it a more appealing system. This thesis proposes an initial radar overview with deep focus on forward scatter capabilities. FSR principles, radar cross section and target signature are widely discussed. Thus, numerous innovative studies done during this PhD project are presented. FSR passive mode, MIMO geometry and moving transmitter/ moving receiver configurations are here investigated for the first time. Numerous experimental campaigns have been undertaken and a big quantity of data has been collected. Comprehensive analyses on measured and simulated results are presented. Moreover, various novel techniques to estimate target motion parameters have been developed and tested on real and simulated data. Results show a good match between measured and estimated kinematic information. Finally, clutter in moving ends FSR is discussed. In fact, the innovative moving ends configuration is affected by Doppler shift and clutter Doppler spread. Thus, it is important to understand how this issue limits the system performance