Classification of stationary movers with MTI radar

Some elements of the modern landscape have moving parts, but do not move themselves. This type of element is termed a stationary mover. A relevant example of this type of element is a rotating antenna of a ground-based search radar. As an airborne platform equipped with moving-target indication (MTI) radar sweeps the ground, the motion of the moving parts is detected and reported by position and range rate. Even though these elements appear to be moving, the reported location remains unchanged from sweep to sweep. The algorithm described in this paper successfully detects stationary movers by first finding MTI tracks which do not move over time. These tracks are then interrogated to determine if the range rate history is consistent with that of a rotating object. Those determined to be rotators are reported along with a likelihood of correct classification. This paper first describes the two stages of the algorithm, the concentrated report locator algorithm and the track self-consistency algorithm. Next, various implementations of the algorithm are presented. A brief performance analysis is then given followed by some concluding remarks