MIMO radar target measurements

Widely-spaced Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar seeks to exploit an angular diversity of measurements in order to improve target detection performance. Such systems have been predicted to outperform equivalent phased-array configurations given a suitably low-noise environment. However, these predictions have been based on the use of a target model comprising a finite area filled with an infinite number of uncorrelated point-source scatterers, and the applicability of such models when applied to realistic MIMO radars and targets remains to be demonstrated. An extended target model is offered in which scattering amplitudes in the random target are correlated as a function of spatial proximity. This model is evaluated for its utility in describing the average radar profiles of two targets: a numerically-simulated helicopter and an experimentally measured unmanned aerial vehicle. Results demonstrate a limited applicability of the new target model but serve to verify several predictions concerning the target detection performance of MIMO radars when compared to phased arrays.