Airborne radar clutter simulation using hyperspectral and LiDAR imagery

A key factor degrading the performance of airborne radar is clutter. Many current clutter mitigation algorithms rely on statistical clutter models; however, such models fail to incorporate the time varying, site dependent nature of unwanted scattering. Hyperspectral imagery combined with lidar-derived elevation data offers a unique and comprehensive assessment of the radar clutter environment. Elevation data can be used to compute the range of scatters to the radar, while hyperspectral data processing can yield information on terrain features, which directly impacts electromagnetic backscattering. A simulated airborne clutter map is provided, and statistics compared to typical clutter distributions.