Three-dimensional ISAR imaging of maneuvering targets using three receivers

The conventional ISAR image is a two-dimensional (2-D) projection of a three-dimensional (3-D) object surface. The image (projection) plane is related to the motion of a target with respect to the line of radar sight (LOS). In general, the image plane and the image scale in the cross range direction can not be determined by the traditional ISAR system with one receiver unless the target motion knowledge is known. In this paper, we propose a new ISAR system with three receivers. Using the three-receiver ISAR system, 3-D images of maneuvering targets can be generated, where the knowledge of the target motion is not required.