Fast fully adaptive processing: A multistage STAP approach

Due to the associated computational load and required statistically homogeneous training, fully optimal space-time adaptive processing (STAP) is well-accepted to be impractical. Previous work has addressed these issues by reducing the adaptive degrees of freedom (DoF). In this paper we introduce a new multistage STAP approach that significantly reduces required sample support, and computational complexity, while still processing all available DoF. The multistage ldquofast fully adaptiverdquo (FFA) scheme draws inspiration from the butterfly structure of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The reduction in complexity and required sample support rival currently available reduced DoF algorithms. We test the efficacy of this algorithm using measured high frequency surface wave radar data.