Interception Algorithm of S-cubed Signal Model in Stealth Radar Equipment

Radar equipment of stealth platforms such as aircraft have adopted the newest modern technology to design the signal waveforms. One of the important and effective methods is the hybrid waveform called spread spectrum stretch (S-cubed) which combines linear frequency modulation (LFM) and discrete phase code. In order to investigate the function of enemyʹs stealth radar equipment, the interception algorithm of S-cubed is needed. In this paper, a novel detection and parameter estimation approach for the reconnaissance S-cubed radar signal is presented. First, the generalized time-frequency representation of Zhao, Atlas, and Marks (ZAM-GTFR) and Hough transforms (HT) are applied to detecting the signal, and then the initial frequency and modulation slope of LFM are estimated from the ZAM-GTFR. On the basis of LFM information, the reconstructing signal is generated. Finally, the code rate of discrete phase code is extracted from the negative peaks of the ZAM-GTFR. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has higher estimation accuracy when the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is above 3 dB.